The past six months in South Dakota have been incredible! One of the highlights was finally getting my CDL licence after three years of hard work. I had an amazing time driving trucks for the coop I worked for under the H2A visa program in a town called Parkston, SD. Working at the coop was a new challenge compared to my previous two years on farms. It gave me a fresh perspective on the H2A visa program and allowed me to work with some
truly wonderful people who have great work ethics and management skills. I felt right at home and made lifelong friends.
My main duties involved driving fertiliser to farms where our applicators would spray and prepare the fields for corn and soybeans. We also did some shop work and maintenance on
equipment to ensure everything ran smoothly during the season.
I even had the chance to interview my H2A boss, Jarett M. You can check out the video of our interview (https://youtu.be/3CIuT4hxD-Q?si=POSnSoHDGZ45)
Beyond the work, meeting all the wonderful people—from coworkers to farm owners and locals—was fantastic. The friends I made were incredible; they made me feel like part of the family, and the fun never ended. We enjoyed activities like eating out, boat rides, BBQs, golf,swimming, and road trips.
Even though my home is in Kimberley, South Africa, South Dakota has found a special place in my heart. It felt like home in a way.
However, like all good things, my time there had to come to an end, i only had a 6 month contract. I’ve recently started a new contract in Wisconsin, and it’s a completely different experience. Be sure to read my next newsletter about this three-month contract before I head back home in December.
If you enjoy following my farm work journey in America, keep an eye out for my next newsletter about Wisconsin. We’ve just started building silos for the corn harvest! What a crazy experience!
As promised, I am always looking out for you guys in terms of opportunities in America and here are 2 websites you need to go check out:
(They employ and recruit South Africans!)
1 – https://monettefarms.ca/
2 – https://www.globalfarmranch.com/
All the best with your search for farm work in America!
Jacques Faith