FARMER RESPONSIBILITIES:Plan finances and production to maintain farm progress against budget parametersPerform practical farm activities, e.g. driving tractors, operating machinery, spraying fields, etc.Procure equipment and supplies, e.g. tractors, implements, fertilizer and seedPerform or arrange for the maintenance and repair of machinery and equipmentMaintain, monitor, and perform actions as necessary to increase the quality of crop yieldLocate and manage outside contractors when necessary, e.g. harvesting, aerial spraying.Understand the implications of the weather and make contingency plansApply health and safety standards across the farm, as well as ensure that farm activities comply with government regulationsUse electronic spreadsheets to keep financial records up to dateOther duties as assigned BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:Minimum of 10 years of row crop farming experience in the central Texas area which shall include a working knowledge of every process required for crop production in the regionExperience in repair and preventative maintenance of John Deere agricultural equipmentHigh school diploma or general education degree (GED) PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:Valid Class A Commercial Driver’s LicensePositive relationships with suppliers and contractors in the areaTexas Applicator License or sufficient requirements necessary to obtain such ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:Valid Driver’s License, and a clean driving recordMust be able to climb ladders and work in tight spaces.Required to exert physical effort in handling objects up to 50 poundsRequired to be exposed to physical environment which involves dirt, odors, noise, weather extremes or similar elements most of the work dayMust be able to work an extremely flexible schedule with extra hours as needed by business demands; typically, SpaceX employees work a minimum 50 hour week. This position will be required to work around test schedules as necessary to ensure the successful crop production does not interfere with testing progress.
... I like how the job is ITAR restricted...
Is this to manage the herd of space cows we see from time to time, or to supply fresh consumables for the commissary?
...Maybe the ranchers aren't happy? Cows that run around a lot have tougher meat, so the ranchers don't want to renew?...
SpaceX better be alert. It's one thing to take on Boeing, Lockheed, ULA, etc. But taking on Monsanto? THAT is playing with fire.
I think SpaceX just wants to get more revenue from the land they bought. This is just like Cincinnati Inc. in Harrison Ohio. Their factory sits on forty of their 700 acres. >
By vigorously farming (with boo coo plowing and chemicals) the land around their future launch site, the chances that an Endangered Species Act critter will take up residence will be greatly reduced.Don't want the elusive Lower Rio Grande Valley Dung Beetle to nix human colonization of space!
... and to have a farmer around when discussing food production in their future colonies. Or for the actual colonisation part.The early history of the colonization of the americas is called "the starving time" because they sent too many goldsmiths and almost no one with farming experience. I guess SpaceX doesn't want to replicate that mistake.
The open land around the launch site needs to be maintained. If let alone, it would grow wild and attract critters. They could spray it and kill everything, or they could use it productively. That would enhance the site's image and probably be viewed favorably in the community. They could donate the food and write off the farming activity. It might even garner tax advantages. Of course, they might be looking forward toward their methalox engine and want to grow the bio feed stock for methane production—rocket fuel.
This posting sounds like it's for the test site, not the launch site.
Any idea why they want to hire a farmer instead of renting the land to a local farmer?
Be patient people, rockets are hard.
This thread is just nonsense. All this fuss because of a farmer job posting? Are we going to have a similar thread for when they post landscaping jobs for mowing the grass too? This is nothing out of the ordinary, KSC still has active orchards that are leased to producers. Just because it has Spacex on it, somebody has to make a big deal of it. If spaceflight is suppose to be routine, then don't make a big of deal of routine items.
Uh I don't think this has anything to do with SpaceX. If Boeing did the same or NASA did the same I think a post would also appear for those. I had not heard that KSC had orchards.
Must be news since I never knew that there are farming activities in KSC and VAFB.....how are the arrangements done? (especially with VAFB since it is an air force base after all....)
Quote from: R7 on 10/11/2014 02:52 pmAny idea why they want to hire a farmer instead of renting the land to a local farmer?Potential legal issues if an accident damaged the crops. If they leased the land, the crops belongs to the farmer. If they hire a farmer to tend crops owned by SpaceX, then there's no problem.
Quote from: Aerospace Dilettante on 10/11/2014 06:16 amBy vigorously farming (with boo coo plowing and chemicals) the land around their future launch site, the chances that an Endangered Species Act critter will take up residence will be greatly reduced.Surely a "Dilettante" should know that it's spelled beaucoup.
By vigorously farming (with boo coo plowing and chemicals) the land around their future launch site, the chances that an Endangered Species Act critter will take up residence will be greatly reduced.
Please put your coffee mugs down ...With the readily adaptive and innovative culture of SpaceX, I offer this insight. Note in the job posting:"Valid Driver’s License, and a clean driving recordMust be able to climb ladders and work in tight spaces. ... Must be able to work an extremely flexible schedule with extra hours as needed ..."It appears to me SpaceX is recruiting for Dragon 2 flight crew.
Why would SpaceX hire a farmer instead of leasing the land to one?
Why would SpaceX hire a farmer instead of leasing the land to one?Seems like they specifically want the land to be farmed/cultivated, rather than just leased or rented to someone for their own use.
... if they're farming "inside the gate" then it may be they want to avoid corporate espionage or ITAR issues by having a leaser farm instead.
Quote from: sanman on 10/12/2014 03:53 amWhy would SpaceX hire a farmer instead of leasing the land to one?If the owner of the land farms that land, it may be taxed at a much lower rate than if the land were leased.
Quote from: Dave G on 10/12/2014 12:13 pmQuote from: sanman on 10/12/2014 03:53 amWhy would SpaceX hire a farmer instead of leasing the land to one?If the owner of the land farms that land, it may be taxed at a much lower rate than if the land were leased.No, you would get the same property tax discount even if it were leased, as long as the land is in agricultural (or timber) production. I am a Texas landowner who benefits from exactly the same tax break by leasing my property for agricultural use.The best guess so far is that the reason to hire rather than lease has to do with ITAR. No way does this have anything to do with agriculture in space or on Mars. The job description is too specific.
Must be able to climb ladders and work in tight spaces. Required to exert physical effort in handling objects up to 50 pounds Required to be exposed to physical environment which involves dirt, odors, noise, weather extremes or similar elements most of the work day Must be able to work an extremely flexible schedule with extra hours as needed by business demands; typically, SpaceX employees work a minimum 50 hour week. This position will be required to work around test schedules as necessary to ensure the successful crop production does not interfere with testing progress.
I'm guessing that they may lose a tractor or two from debris from F9R.
Quote from: mlindner on 10/11/2014 06:28 pmUh I don't think this has anything to do with SpaceX. If Boeing did the same or NASA did the same I think a post would also appear for those. I had not heard that KSC had orchards. Get real, it has everything to do with Spacex. Nobody would have posted it if it was done by other organizations. Also, VAFB has cultivated fields on it.
Darn, the first SpaceX job I am mostly qualified for but I live (and farmed) in NJ not Texas! I spent a good portion of my youth farming soybeans... until the grain embargo on the Soviet Union and some family business hijinks sunk us. This is absolutely for the tax breaks. If SpaceX buys say 1000 acres of land but doesn't intend on developing a test facility or launch site or office complex for the next 5 years, in order for the land to stay zoned "agricultural" there must be a working farm which produces a certain percentage of the property's income from agricultural activity. The tax break probably outweighs the income from leasing the land to another farmer, which is why he will become a SpaceX employee. The income from the crop must go into SpaceX's coffers. If Texas tax laws are similar to the ones up here, land leased for agriculture is taxed higher than land used by the owner to grow crops himself. My cousin leases his 80 acres to another farmer but pays higher taxes on the property than when we farmed it as a family business.
