Summary Report for:
11-9012.00 - Farmers and Ranchers
On an ownership or rental basis, operate farms, ranches, greenhouses, nurseries, timber tracts, or other agricultural production establishments which produce crops, horticultural specialties, livestock, poultry, finfish, shellfish, or animal specialties. May plant, cultivate, harvest, perform post-harvest activities, and market crops and livestock; may hire, train, and supervise farm workers or supervise a farm labor contractor; may prepare cost, production, and other records. May maintain and operate machinery and perform physical work.
Sample of reported job titles:
Farmer, Dairy Farmer, Rancher, Farm Manager, Farm Operator, Cash Crop Farmer, Dairy Farm Operator, Grain Farmer, Beef Farm Operator, Cattleman
Tasks | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment
Tasks
- Perform crop production duties such as planning, tilling, planting, fertilizing, cultivating, spraying, and harvesting.
- Plan crop activities based on factors such as crop maturity and weather conditions.
- Monitor crops as they grow in order to ensure that they are growing properly and are free from diseases and contaminants.
- Maintain facilities such as fencing, water supplies, and outdoor housing and wind shelters.
- Determine types and quantities of crops or livestock to be raised, according to factors such as market conditions, federal program availability, and soil conditions.
- Select and purchase supplies and equipment such as seed, fertilizers, and farm machinery.
- Maintain financial, tax, production, and employee records.
- Lubricate, adjust, and make minor repairs to farm equipment, using oilcans, grease guns, and hand tools.
- Set up and operate farm machinery to cultivate, harvest, and haul crops.
- Evaluate product marketing alternatives, then promote and market farm products, acting as the sales agent for livestock and crops.
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Knowledge
| Food Production — Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques. |
| Mechanical — Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance. |
| Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
| Economics and Accounting — Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data. |
| Production and Processing — Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods. |
| Biology — Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment. |
| Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process. |
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Skills
| Equipment Maintenance — Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed. |
| Repairing — Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools. |
| Management of Financial Resources — Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures. |
| Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Equipment Selection — Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job. |
| Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| Management of Material Resources — Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work. |
| Troubleshooting — Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it. |
| Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems. |
| Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. |
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Abilities
| Control Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions. |
| Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. |
| Manual Dexterity — The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. |
| Multilimb Coordination — The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion. |
| Depth Perception — The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object. |
| Visual Color Discrimination — The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness. |
| Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways. |
| Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material. |
| Static Strength — The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects. |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position. |
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Work Activities
| Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). |
| Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft. |
| Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
| Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
| Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment — Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles. |
| Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
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Work Context
| Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? |
| Structured versus Unstructured Work — To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? |
| Outdoors, Exposed to Weather — How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions? |
| Duration of Typical Work Week — Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
| In an Open Vehicle or Equipment — How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or equipment (e.g., tractor)? |
| In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment — How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)? |
| Very Hot or Cold Temperatures — How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures? |
| Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? |
| Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? |
| Exposed to Contaminants — How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)? |
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Job Zone
| Title |
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed |
| Overall Experience |
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job. |
| Job Training |
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. |
| Job Zone Examples |
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include funeral directors, electricians, forest and conservation technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents. |
| SVP Range |
(6.0 to < 7.0) |
| Education |
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree. |
There are 2 recognized apprenticeable specialties associated with this occupation:
Farmer, General; Beekeeper
To learn about specific apprenticeship opportunities, please consult the U.S. Department of Labor State Apprenticeship Information
website.
For general information about apprenticeships, training, and partnerships with
business, visit the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship
website.
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Interests
Interest code: REC
| Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others. |
| Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business. |
| Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow. |
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Work Styles
| Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
| Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical. |
| Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. |
| Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. |
| Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. |
| Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. |
| Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. |
| Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations. |
| Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. |
| Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. |
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Work Values
| Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy. |
| Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement. |
| Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions. |
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Related Occupations
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Wages & Employment Trends
National
| Median wages (2008) |
$16.13 hourly, $33,550 annual |
| Employment (2006) |
1,058,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) |
Decline slowly or moderately (-3% to -9%)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) |
95,000 additional employees |
State & National
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2008 wage data
and 2006-2016 employment projections
.
"Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2006-2016). "Projected need" represents job openings due to growth and net replacement.
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