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Are you thinking about hiring a sitter for your farm or homestead? There is a lot you can do to make sure you find the best help. This post will help you prepare for interviewing and hiring a sitter and includes a checklist of all you need to start off on the right foot. When you’re ready, check out sitters near you at helpinghomestead.com

Have References from Farm Sitters

References are important, even for the job lister! If you are hiring someone new, they want to make sure your property is a safe and fun place to work. People that can attest to you being honest, accountable, and trustworthy can make people feel more comfortable applying to your listing. 

Offer Onsite training

Offering onsite training is a great way to make your job more desirable to applicants. Even if a sitter has worked with the same animals and crops that you need help with, everyone does things a bit differently. You and your sitter will both be happier if they know exactly how you like things done. 

If you have complicated care for certain animals or plants, finding someone with experience will of course be your preference. However, there are so many people who want to become farm sitters so they can learn more about how to start their own hobby farm or homestead. If you are willing to train someone with a bit less experience, you will have a lot more applicants to choose from and will help pass along your passions to another farmer-at-heart!

Be Upfront about the Job

Make sure people know exactly what they are signing up for before you conduct a formal interview or training. You don’t need to include every single detail in you job posting, but you want to make sure people know what will be expected of them if they are going to apply. You’ll waste the time of both you and potential sitters if you sugar coat jobs that are actually several hours of pretty tough work. But someone who is up for the challenge will be the right fit when they apply!

How and How Much to Pay Farm Sitters

This can be tricky! If you’ve hired help in the past you may have an idea of what to offer as payment to a farm sitter. But here are some things to consider when deciding on a price:

• Daily check ins vs. overnight care
  
  • If the type of help needed needs someone onsite 24/7, this should be considered. Sitters typically charge more for this and at a daily rate vs. a job that requires coming by 2-3 times per day for an hourly rate. 
• How many hours of work required
  
  • Time out how long it takes you to do the jobs your sitter will need to do. Keep in mind, they probably wont do it quite as fast as you the first day or two!
• Physical difficulty level of the work required
  
  • Someone spending a couple hours changing feed, collecting eggs, and watering gardens is quite different than a couple hours of shoveling out stalls and tending to larger livestock. Keep the physicality of the job in mind when choosing a rate. 
• Are you providing lodging, food, or other amenities?
  
  • If your job doesn’t necessarily require onsite stay but is for an extended period of time and can allow it, you can consider some of what you provide to go towards “payment.” Some sitters travel the country by helping out at farms in different states. If they’ll have a lot of opportunities for both work and play during the job, this can be taken into consideration as well. 
• How much experience the sitter has
  
  • If you want a sitter with 15 amazing references, 20 years of experience and consistent 5 star reviews, you’ll probably have to pay a bit more for them than the college student hoping to earn some extra $$ during summer. Don’t be afraid to interview someone with less experience if you think they can learn, especially if you want to pay a lower rate.
• Travel time
  
  • Is your farm or homestead way out in the boonies? Offering a higher rate might help you find a sitter a bit faster. If you’re offering $15 a day because all you need is egg collection, no one will be willing to drive 45 each way just for that!

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Some sitters who are already established may have a rate. If it seems higher than you think is fair, you can ask if there is any wiggle room or anything that could help meet the difference, whether that is eliminating some chores or offering produce, eggs, or other items produced on your farm. 

Prepare Materials for the Sitter to Have with them on the Job

Even though you will have likely gone over the entire job with your sitter, that is a lot of information for someone to learn and it’s easy to forget things or leave things out. You might consider keeping a hard copy of all the duties you want your sitter to complete at your property so they can reference it on the job. They can even use it as a checklist to make sure everything gets done each day. This could include feeding schedules, locking everything up at night, etc. 

You should also keep emergency information in a very accessible place. As a farmer or homesteader, you know to expect the unexpected, so make sure your sitter knows exactly what to do if something goes wrong and they can’t get ahold of you right away. This can include contact for a local veterinarian, an emergency contact of someone you trust, as well as locations of fire extinguishers and any other emergency items you would need on your farm. 

Make sure everything your sitter will need to use is set out for them or that you have instructions on where to find things. If you keep sheds locked, make sure to leave them keys or codes. Remind them where daily equipment is stored and where to find feed, bedding, etc. 

Most importantly, be sure that your sitter has the best way to get ahold of you. That way, if you forget anything and they need some help, they can reach out to you to make sure they are taking the best care of your property. 

Make your Appreciation of Quality Care Known

We all know you can’t put a price on high quality care and the peace that comes with knowing everything at your farm and homestead is in great hands when you’re away. Give an extra thanks to your sitter with things from your farm! This can be fresh eggs or produce, or anything else that shows your appreciation. This will mean a lot to your sitter!

Make an Account to Start Getting Reviews on helpinghomestead.com

Do you have an account at Helpinghomestead.com? This is a great way to give sitters a snapshot of what kind of work you need done and to help find interested helpers. You can upload references and helpers can also review you which can help attract sitters again in the future. 

If you want to stand apart, you can also pay to have a verified membership. This indicates that you have passed a criminal background check and cane help you attract more interested sitters

Decide on the Best Contact Method and Check-in Schedule

It’s good planning to have a few ways for your sitter to get ahold of you during an emergency. However, if it’s a longer job, you may want to have some contact during the time you're away. Let the sitter know if you would likely daily or weekly updates on how things are going. You can ask them to send photos of your animals or updates on how many eggs were collected, etc. You don’t want to bug them every hour, but is is reasonable to ask for updates to make sure everything is running smoothly. 

Make sure you can get ahold of your sitter too! Ask for a back up contact method or even an emergency contact. Ask for references or for them, or request that they become a verified member at Helping Homestead for extra peace of mind that your farm is in good hands. 

Once you’ve decided on someone, make sure you do your homework: check out their profile on helpinghomestead.com, do they have references there or can they provide them? Would they consider paying for a verified membership so that you know they don’t have a criminal record? Consider a phone and onsite interview (see our safety tips for more ideas on safe hiring).

Now you know everything you need to start looking for a farm sitter! Search by city or state at helpinghomestead.com, and look for the verified badge that indicates they have passed a background check. Save the checklist below, post your listing and plan that getaway today!