Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 43478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
“We are going out in the field, Jesse. Not sure if you know, but that means rubber boots and clothes that aren’t… well, what you’ve got on.”
Seriously, this man is here in a suit. I take my job to heart. I am professional and dress accordingly, but when we have field days like today, this isn’t functional. I promise a suit is not proper attire. Our farmers will either laugh at him or act like he’s not there.
“This will be fine, Sara.” His attempt at assertion is laughable.
“Suit yourself,” yes, I did mean the pun, “in case no one told you, the dry-cleaning bill is not considered a valid reimbursable expense.”
“Sara, this is the third week we have worked together. Every field inspection you have something to say about my attire. We haven’t once been in an actual field on these meetings with farmers. I know you were offered the supervisor position, but to be clear as of this moment, you are not my supervisor. Therefore, is it really your place to knock my suit?”
I laugh out loud; I can’t stop myself. “Buddy boy, you should know, I turned down the position. I’m not supervisor material. I’m a workplace vigilante. You want to waste your hard-earned money on clothes that will get ruined if we go to a hog farm, then do it. I won’t say another word.”
He jerks his head back, “hog farm?”
“Oh, bless your heart, yeah a hog farm. We are the AG department for the state. Hog farming falls under the agriculture department. And you do understand OSHA and their regulations along with the FDA and all of theirs, we too have rules and regulations to adhere to … including at the hog farms. And,” I put my hand on my chest for dramatic effect, “sometimes, we have to walk in the muck to get a real visual on the health and well-being of the future bacon.”
The fear on his face is killing me. I want to laugh, but I can’t because I’m not sure he can handle it.
“I thought we went to farms, sure, to talk to farmers. Mostly our role is to meet with community boards and do our best to promote grant opportunities within the state. Not that we would be present at a hog farm in the hog waste.”
Well, buddy boy, life is full of shit, sometimes you have to step in it. If we get lucky, we won’t have to roll in it with the hogs. I shake my head, “Jesse, if you’re this shaken up about a hog farm, you won’t believe how bad the poultry farms smell. It’s our job to help farmers in all areas not just plant-based ones. And it means truly seeing all aspects of a working farm.”
“This is not what I signed up for. We’re consumed in crops. Corn, wheat, soy, it’s solid. I don’t see where we as a department need to tackle livestock.”
I laugh out loud; I can’t hold it back. “We oversee all agriculture developments and facilities for the state of North Carolina. That is what you signed up for.” I shake my head at him. “I told you we were behind schedule. These checks should have been done two months ago. You need to learn this so you can get out there in your region.”
Standing and moving towards my office door, I pat him on the shoulder, “well, it’s a good thing you’re pretty.” I don’t finish the statement, but lord knows I want to. Dude is very lucky he’s got good looks, because he doesn’t have much for brains. Yep, he’s lucky he’s pretty, his head isn’t going to get him far in life.
He stands beside me in shock.
I give a half smile. “You go ahead and put in your personal time; I’ll head out to the field today. Have a good one, Jesse,” I mutter as I keep walking away from him and to my car.
Some people aren’t cut out for this job. He’s one of them. It’s not my job to hire or fire, so he can weed himself out.
After a long few hours at two local hog farms in Goldsboro, I make a stop in the Kinston office to finish up my reports. Everything has to have a paper trail especially for hog farms. These poor people have spent their lives dedicated to ethical raising and processing of hogs to meet growing supply demands nationwide. The last few years they have all been hit with lawsuit after lawsuit for the smell and surrounding property value issues. These people suing, especially the ones who bought their homes knowing the hog farm was next door piss me off to high heavens. Hello, the legal fees these farmers waste fighting the bullshit has to get covered somewhere, hence the ever-rising price of bacon.