Market Farming

[BCLuton AT aol.com]

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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