[Market-farming] Advice on small contract w/ Extension

BCLuton at aol.com BCLuton at aol.com
Sat Mar 1 15:37:45 EST 2008


The Federal Mileage rate was just recently raised again.  You can  check that 
online.
 
Also if you decide to base your "hourly rate" on the prevailing wages of  
Extension personnel in your area.(which doesn't seem like a bad idea)   Don't 
forget to consider that their hourly wage does not  reflect the costs of 
administration or the costs of fringe  benefits.(ie. 
SS,FICA,Disability,retirement,etc.)
 
Fringe benefits run around 36% (at-least here in NYS where we have  VERY HIGH 
NYS Disability costs)  Your situation may be slightly  different depending on 
the state fringe rates.  CCE in NYS aims for 20 -  30% administration on all 
grants.  This is spread across many programs and  services and isn't just 
payroll and personnel related but it gives you an idea  of the overhead that an 
agency or business incorporates above and beyond the  wage paid.
 
The moral of the story is that if the arrangement is for Extension  to have 
you as a subcontract (wherein you might have to carry your own  commercial 
general insurance - so check into that)  You'll definitely be  entitled to 
recouping those costs.  
 
Its not uncommon for a subcontract to be compensated at or near twice  the 
going wage rate of a similarly qualified employee.
 
Alternatively Extension may be able to bring you on as a per diem employee  
and your wage would reflect an hourly rate at or around a comparable full time  
position.
 
Good luck with the program!
 
Brian 
 
 
 
In a message dated 3/1/2008 1:38:41 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
susangivingtree at earthlink.net writes:

Extension workers here get upwards of $18/hour,  So don't be  bashful about 
charging what it is worth.  You can also ask for  mileage to and from - 
federal rate was $.37/mile in early 2007, don't know  what it is now.......

Susan
Michigan

----- Original Message  ----- 
From: <tonitime at juno.com>
To:  <market-farming at lists.ibiblio.org>
Cc:  <market-farming at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2008  1:10 PM
Subject: [Market-farming] Advice on small contract w/  Extension


>
> I hope some of you can help me think through  this opportunity!
> The county next to mine  has a good extension  office, and personnel that
> care and are  wanting me to build,  plant, and maintain a raised-bed
> demonstration area for home  gardeners.after polling the citizens to see
> what they want their  extension to do for them - this was what the people
> asked for.
>  They are glad to be encouraging more people to grow vegies at home, as
>  not much is offered in stores anywhere around here.  I am having a  hard
> time figuring out how to give them a price for my work that is  fair all
> around!  I would be constructing one long raised bed  (wooden-sides,  seat
> top), a demo composting setup, filling this  big box-bed with bagged
> ammendments, and seasonal plantings (that i  will provide from my own seed
> and starts), and maintain maybe once a  week until frost time.  It is alot
> of work, and they are located  about 40 minutes from our farm ( everything
> is 30-40 minutes or more  from where we live!). Materials aside, i can't
> figure out how to  charge for my time.  I often do seed-saving and
> heirloom classes,  gardening, and processing info sessions on my own, w/0
> pay.........for  community service and good will - but need to accept
> their payment for  a project like this one.
> I am doing this because i really believe that  more citizens need to get
> involved in their own growing at home in  these harder times.  We live in
> an area where people have never  had good shopping anywhere nearby, and
> their farms used to sustain  community only a generation or two in the
> past.  It is a poor  county, and many cannot afford the fresh food prices
> in the local  markets anymore, but do have space to grow at least some, if
> not most  of their foods - like their ancestors did.
>
> As my own life and  farm keep me so busy, i need help to figure what my
> time is worth on  such as this.  If this question is out of line here, i
> understand  that........but know that several here are not only involved
> with  their markets - but with local foods and education, too.  If you
>  care to respond, or help me ask the right questions in my next meeting  -
> please feel free to write me offlist at:
>  tonitime at gardener.com
> Community service is an important thing to us,  and i do not want to say
> no to this aspect, when some people are  getting needier here and
> everywhere.
> Thanks for your time, if  you have extra!
> Toni in E KY
>  _______________________________________________
> Market-farming mailing  list
> Market-farming at lists.ibiblio.org
>  http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>  

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