How I spent my placement year farming in America
"Amazing, Special, Eye-Opening" - Agricultural Technology student, Donagh McAuley, shares his experience with Paplow Harvesting and Trucking in Iowa, USA.
During my placement I operated a 8250 case IH combine with a 45ft macdon header, in addition to this I drove peterbelt trucks and a 380 case tractor with a 1300 bushel grain cart. I worked 7 days a week doing between 95-100 hours (weather dependent). The majority of my work was operating large scale machinery sometimes in a large crew or by myself. My special placement project was a questionnaire measuring customer satisfaction as we harvested crops for a number of farmers across America.
I loved my placement as it allowed me to travel across 10 different states whilst harvesting so I got to see a lot of the country. I worked in a crew of around 25 people, most of whom were a similar to me so it was easy to make friends and get along with everyone.
Being away from home was no problem as I really enjoyed the work I was doing and I would definitely do it again and recommend it to anyone.
Practical Considerations?
I had to obtain a US student visa which can be a long process. I got my job through an agency (Harvest support UK/USA) who helped me through the visa process. I booked a connecting flight from Dublin to Chicago to Sioux Falls and then was collected by crew members and brought to the farm.
Once I arrived I was helped to set up a bank account and got a bank card, I also got a SIM card for my phone so I could make calls and have internet. The crew I worked on provided me with accommodation and food so I didn't have to do much on arrival.
What are some must do's or don'ts?
I would definitely recommend travelling once the harvest is finished and visiting national parks such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon.
My favourite moment was the road I took at the end, once harvest finished. Me and 4 other people from the crew hired 2 cars and drove 2000 miles across the country and saw many landmarks such as Yellowstone, Rocky Mountains, Moab National park, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, countless towns and cities and we finished up the trip in Las Vegas.
Did anything surprise you?
The scale of the machinery and the size of farms took me by surprise along with how hot the weather was when we moved to Texas.
Any advice?
Don't be afraid to try new things and experience as much as possible whilst your away as it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Try to enjoy every moment.
