"Village helpers" wanted

They help in the worst of times on the farm

This backbreaking job can only be found in the red-white-red granary: village helpers in Lower Austria are always on hand when a farm urgently needs help on the farm - often due to bad strokes of fate. What this unique job in the province looks like and how it can now be made more attractive.

Lower Austria is the only federal state in which there are still village helpers. "They help out in emergency situations and lend a hand on farms where it's most urgently needed," says Andreas Freistetter, President of the Chamber of Agricultural Workers, explaining the special significance of this extensive backbreaking job. Because as an employed village helper, you have to be extremely well-versed. There can be many things that need to be done on a farm. The combination of home and farm help must be all-round talents: whether it's looking after children, working in the barn, harvesting in the fields or wherever else there is work to be done on the farm - the helpers lend a hand everywhere. Sometimes they even care for elderly relatives on the farm.

Support in the toughest hours
In order to meet the challenges, there is an almost one-year training course at the agricultural college in Gießhübl in the Amstetten district, which ends with several weeks of practical training and a final examination. In times of a shortage of skilled workers and the like, the aim is to find the best people in the country to provide local support, often after dramatic strokes of fate and significant life changes. The state is now making training to become a village helper more attractive: "From now on, future helpers will receive a grant of 600 euros per month for the duration of their training," says Stephan Pernkopf, Vice-President of the state, proud of the incentives.

"I can do village! You too?"
This is because the "rapid response force in an emergency on the farm" is an enormous support when farms are temporarily dependent on outside help in challenging situations, they say. There are currently 25 village helpers working for the state, with a minimum gross salary of 2,845 euros for full-time employment. This job is advertised with the appropriate slogan: "I can do villages! Can you?"