H-2A Success Profile: Schilling Feed Lot and Farms
An In-Depth Look at How Schilling Feed Lot and Farms Sets the Bar for H-2A Employee Treatment and Partners with USA FARM LABOR for their h-2a needs, Increasing Farm Efficiency and Eliminating Senseless Outsourcing
Image Courtesy of Unsplash
Location:
Venturia, North Dakota
Farm/Business name:
Schilling Feed Lot and Farms
Contact:
Cheryl Schilling, Co-Owner
An Overview of Schilling Feed Lot and Farms with H-2A
The team at USA FARM LABOR recently sat down with Cheryl Schilling, an absolute gem of a lady, a wonderful devoted mother and wife, and co-owner of Schilling Feed Lot and Farms, to learn more about the ways her partnership with USA FARM LABOR and her experience with the H-2A program has impacted her farming business.
Together with her husband Dwight, the Schillings operate a generational family farm in which they are the third generation and their sons will soon be the fourth. The Schillings’ farm is located in Venturia, North Dakota, and they’re proud to farm the same land that Dwight’s grandfather once farmed decades and decades ago. The Schillings are some of our oldest clients here at USA FARM LABOR, so telling their H-2A story is an absolute honor and a privilege.
Cheryl works a full-time job on top of helping run the family farm, so to say we deeply appreciate her taking the time to chat with us is an understatement.
The Schillings are proud to operate the same farm that Dwight’s grandfather once ran and the same farm that their sons will soon run. We’re proud to call them our clients. The Schillings are the definition of “generational farmers.”
However, family farms don’t stay around for this long without a strong understanding of how to manage the day-to-day business, and having employees to help with tasks is a big part of running a successful operation. The Schillings knew they needed help years ago, so they have been utilizing the H-2A work visa program for nearly 20 years. However, they started by trying to navigate the complex H-2A process on their own. The Schillings have years of experience with H-2A, so it’s safe to say that Cheryl is nearly an expert in the program.
Undoubtedly, this husband and wife team has the credibility to discuss the processes, benefits, and any potential drawbacks associated with the H-2A work visa program as well as what it’s like to partner with USA FARM LABOR for filing applications and sourcing H-2A employees. Cheryl is a wealth of knowledge, experience, and wisdom as she was more than forthcoming during our conversation.
(Thank you again, Cheryl. It was an honor to talk with you!)
This is the Schillings’ USA FARM LABOR and H-2A success story, and it’s one that we’re excited and proud to share with you.
For the Schillings, USA FARM LABOR’s H-2A Service Turned Out to be Money Well Spent
The Schillings farm an assortment of crops such as alfalfa, soybeans, wheat, corn, and rye as well as livestock including cattle. Finding farm employees who are skilled enough to run their heavy equipment, reliable enough to show up even on the coldest North Dakota mornings, and who are legally allowed to work in America is a tough task for farmers in this region of the country. Add in that Venturia, North Dakota has a population of 20 (yes, that’s 20 people in total) and one can easily see how there isn’t a labor market. Ultimately, these are all reasons why the H-2A visa program exists.
However, the Schillings had to learn the ins and outs of the H-2A program the hard way.
“We did our first H-2A application on our own,” notes Cheryl. “BIG MISTAKE! I tell everybody don’t do it, don’t do it!” she explains.
Needless to say, H-2A is a complicated program to navigate on your own. It’s not impossible, but it’s really hard and extremely time-consuming. Although Cheryl was able to complete the application process on her own and land a temporary, seasonal employee for the farm, she advises against navigating this complex program alone.
“Especially now with all the new rules and regulations, I tell people DO NOT try to do this on your own.”
Navigating the H-2A process on your own is like trying to do your own taxes except you don’t know what forms you need, where to send the necessary documents, and how to present the information in a way that the government finds acceptable – you’re essentially operating in the dark.
After successfully completing the H-2A application process alone, the fourth-generation farm owners hired a local agent to help them with the process instead of an agency.
“We used someone local who was like ‘Oh yeah I can do this and do that’ and we got our worker, but it was NOT a smooth process,” Cheryl notes. “Then, when we hooked up with USA FARM LABOR, I was like ‘ahh that’s how this is supposed to work, got it’ and it was a smooth process,” she continues.
Although Cheryl couldn’t recall the exact moment that she settled on USA FARM LABOR, she’ll tell anyone who will listen that she’s so glad to have found our agency. “I know someone had told me about USA FARM LABOR in passing, a few times, so I went online and it was just… a good fit,” Cheryl recalls.
The peace of mind we offer at USA FARM LABOR comes with an upfront cost. Understandably, the Schillings were apprehensive about the cost of USA FARM LABOR’s services, but those worries soon dissipated after the Schillings realized the type of H-2A agency they had partnered with.
“Well, we farm, and so we’re cost-conscious on everything because our profit margin, contrary to popular belief, is not that great, but as we went through that first season (with USA FARM LABOR), then that second season, we saw the value of that service, and it was money well spent,” explains Cheryl.
Our clients get what they pay for, and USA FARM LABOR’s services will pay off in the long run. From managing the flow of documents for your Temporary Labor Certificate to ensuring our clients comply with the H-2A program’s rules and regulations to handling government audit requests, USA FARM LABOR has our clients’ backs every step of the way.
For clients like Dwight and Cheryl Schilling who need crops planted, grown, and harvested as well as livestock tended to in order to make their living, the peace of mind and security our agency offers are priceless.
Cheryl’s Advice for Newcomers to the H-2A Program
When you come across someone who has been harnessing the power of the H-2A work visa program for nearly two decades, it’s wise to listen to their advice. In the business of farming, one must learn from the mistakes of others and then be smart enough to build upon their successes. Cheryl has the same advice for anyone asking about the H-2A program.
“I get questioned about this (the program) a lot. I say the same thing. ‘Please don’t try to do this on your own, something will go wrong, I guarantee it.’ I tell them ‘It is not a fast process, it is not a simple process, if you make one little mistake, you check the wrong box, the Department of Labor or Homeland Security will shut you down’ and then they have to start all over,” Cheryl explains.
“I tell them ‘Find a trusted agency and work with them, if you don’t like them, find somebody else’ and then I tell them ‘I work with USA FARM LABOR and our experience has been positive’ and they ask ‘Don’t they cost money?’ and I say ‘Yes, but they will save you money in the end because if you screw something up and you get audited, those fines can be unbelievable…’ and I tell them, ‘that’s why you need a USA FARM LABOR in your life’ that’s my spiel to them so to speak,” adds Cheryl.
“Whether it’s USA FARM LABOR or someone else, you need someone to walk you through this process, help you cross your T’s, and dot your I’s,” furthers Cheryl. “I did it on my own, years and years and years ago… it was dumb.”
For the record, we have an immense amount of respect for Cheryl. Anyone who has the intelligence to identify their labor needs, tackle the H-2A process on their own, receive a Temporary Labor Certificate, and get an employee over here from another country has our respect.
Veteran Tips for Managing the H-2A Program and H-2A Employees
As seasoned veterans of the H-2A program, the Schillings understand how to make the program work for them, their farm, their business, and their employees. The Schillings prefer to bring back the same employees each season, if at all possible. This type of continuity and consistency is key to running a successful farming business, or any business for that matter.
Still, regardless of how long you’ve been farming, it can be tough to predict the number of employees you’ll need, especially if you’ve never had employees to help you before. When you apply for your Labor Certificate, you’ll fill out a form ETA-790 at which time you’ll need to specify the number of employees you’re looking to hire. Finding that sweet spot takes a nuanced approach, one that Schilling Feed Lot and Farms seem to have figured out.
“We bring three workers over,” Cheryl says. “We like having the extra help because we rotate weekends… we feed cattle so, you know, farming isn’t just a five-day-a-week job.”
Unfortunately, the cows and the corn don’t know it’s Sunday.
Like many of our clients, the Schillings are extremely family-oriented and they have a lot of respect for their employees’ time away from the farm, and that was apparent throughout our conversation.
“Sometimes they (the H-2A employees) want time off for family coming over from home and they want that time off… so the extra employees gives us the flexibility so the guys don’t feel like they’re always ‘on’ if you will.”
Again, the Schillings understand that their H-2A employees are people first, and farm laborers second, so they do everything in their power to ensure the staff can enjoy their favorite hobbies.
“You know, they want to leave early on Wednesday nights because they like to golf, so we set up the schedule so at 5 o’clock on Wednesday night, they’re out of there… it works,” Cheryl says with joy and happiness in her voice.
“We’ve just always felt like we want to treat people the way we would want our kids to be treated if they were going there (to a foreign country) and if you want them to be happy, let them get involved in the community… go play golf, join a dart league, make friends in the community. They’re going to be more apt to come back if they have ties to more than just their job,” Cheryl advises.
“They’re young people, they need friends, I don’t expect anybody to just sit in their house all day long.”
“Now, we’ve had some that I wouldn’t take back, I’d sell out before I took them back, no joke, but the majority have all been really good,” Cheryl clarifies.
If you’re in business long enough and you’ve cycled through several employees, you’re bound to have a few that simply aren’t a good fit. That’s just the way business goes. But, it’s the great employees you hire that make the H-2A program worth it, and make your farm successful.
One of the Schillings’ longest-tenured employees has been with the farm for six seasons. After working with the Schillings for three seasons, that particular employee got married. So, what did the Schillings do? They brought his wife over with him on the H-2A visa, and now the husband and wife team works together on the Schillings’ farm.
What a great story.
It’s these human elements that make this program so special and meaningful, and it’s the stories of triumph, success, and family that drive everything we do here at USA FARM LABOR.
You won’t find that at other H-2A agencies.
Our service is about more than a bottom line for us, it’s about people helping people and coming together to make our country and our world a better place. The Schillings share these values, so our partnership together just makes sense.
Schilling Feed Lot and Farms Shares their Methods for Hiring New H-2A Employees Using the USA FARM LABOR Database
When we register a new client and start an application, they’re granted access to our proprietary database. The USA FARM LABOR online database is an extremely useful and secure resource that manages the application process, tracks the progress of an application, and maintains files and records, but it also houses employee profiles and resumes. Our proprietary database sets us apart from other H-2A agencies, and it’s a useful tool for finding candidates and hiring the right employees to work on your farm.
“When it comes to the employee (hiring) side of things, the database is my go-to, it is my starting point. It’s where I start. We’ll see there are 20 employees online and my husband and I will narrow down to five of them, that’s when I call Debby (Cheryl’s worker placement coordinator),” explains Cheryl. “Then we go to our other workers and ask ‘what about this guy?’ or ‘what do you think?’ and it’s so much easier.”
So, Cheryl and Dwight take a somewhat unorthodox approach to vetting possible candidates. Many times, the employees know more about a candidate than the database or their resume can offer. The Schillings use this intimate knowledge to make informed hiring decisions.
“A lot of times, the person you thought was the least likely to fit turns out to be the best fit, so sometimes you’ve got to take a chance,” adds Cheryl.
How Schilling Feed Lot and Farms Solved H-2A Housing
“In the very beginning, we rented for them. Now, we have two houses in town – a two-bedroom house and one is a four-bedroom,” notes Cheryl. “The two-bedroom house has been taken up by the (married) couple for a number of years… we want to give everyone as much privacy as we can. So, they take up the two-bedroom and the single guys have the four-bedroom,” Cheryl explains.
H-2A employee housing and providing housing is one of the aspects of this program that deters potential employers. If you don’t have extra housing already in place, it can be tough to procure places for your employees to live on short notice. The Schillings have gone both routes – rental housing for H-2A employees and employer-owned housing.
“It’s just finding smaller homes to rent that are going to pass (SWA) inspection could be iffy,” expresses Cheryl. “So if you can pay rent all those years, you could’ve bought a home and made that investment, and any improvements or anything we make adds value to that home, and then [the employees] are coming back to the same place every year, so it’s a little more comfortable for them.”
How H-2A Employees Helped Schilling Feed Lot and Farms Eliminate Senseless Outsourcing
Describing H-2A employees' impacts on a family-owned farm such as Schilling Feed Lot and Farms isn’t always as easy as throwing out a few numbers.
“What we have been able to do is take a couple of things that we outsourced before and brought them in-house,” Cheryl discusses. “Such as spraying our crops, we were able to buy a sprayer and spray our own crops versus outsourcing that… and now we can do that in the timeframe we need it done instead of waiting for someone.”
We hear this all the time. Our clients are able to run a better business, make improvements to their farming processes, and enhance their offerings due to the presence of skilled, qualified, competent farm employees. It’s truly a snowball effect.
“We were also able to purchase our own fertilizer spreader so we don’t have to wait for someone to come and do it… those two big things that we used to outsource are now done in-house… those things can be done because we have the help and labor that we need,” adds Cheryl.
Cheryl continued to break down the benefits of her H-2A employees on the farm saying, “Things are just more efficient, and when things are getting done in a more timely manner, you’re going to have a better crop output… having labor there makes that possible.”
Experience the USA FARM LABOR Difference for Yourself
Cheryl and Dwight Schilling’s experience with USA FARM LABOR is everyday business here at our offices. We employ a stellar group of processing agents, worker placement coordinators, and various support and administrative staff to ensure that all of our clients are put in the best position to succeed – just like Schilling Feed Lot and Farms.
To us, answering the phone, responding to clients, and helping solve problems is just what we do. To our valued clients like Cheryl and Dwight Schilling, our mission to serve with excellence, create tomorrow’s solutions, and make a positive impact on the world means everything to them. We share the same values, morals, and ethics, so if that sounds like the type of H-2A agency you’d like to work with, give us a call today.
Our team is standing by, ready to get your application for a Temporary Labor Certificate started so you can get some skilled help and transform the future of your farm just as the Schillings did years ago.