My name is Nina and I am 33 years of age. I come from a small town called Oskaloosa in Kansas. I have had many jobs throughout my life, from mucking out stables to owning my own business. Most of the jobs I’ve had have been within the bounds of “the woman’s proper job” until one day I decided to take a leap and dived head first into the “man’s world”. Throughout my journey, I have learned there is absolutely nothing that I cannot accomplish – even in a man’s world. If you want to work in a man’s world, all you need is stubborn determination to work hard.
My name is Nina and I am 33 years of age. I come from a small town called Oskaloosa in Kansas. I have had many jobs throughout my life, from mucking out stables to owning my own business. Most of the jobs I’ve had have been within the bounds of “the woman’s proper job” until one day I decided to take a leap and dived head first into the “man’s world”.
Throughout my journey, I have learned there is absolutely nothing that I cannot accomplish – even in a man’s world. If you want to work in a man’s world, all you need is stubborn determination to work hard.
I was running my own diner when I sold it to pay up the mortgage and some bills. Four months later, my husband and I decided to get divorced. I found myself a job cleaning trucks and a tiny apartment but before I knew what was happening, I was laid off due to supply and demand.
Try as I might, I found it quite difficult to find a job. I was either under-qualified or overqualified. I had sold just about all of my possessions aside from my car to pay my rent. Eventually, I found myself homeless as well as jobless.
A very kind family took me in and offered me a job. I remodelled their kitchen, ran errands, etc. One day, the father of the family asked me to drive his harvest crew to Oklahoma for the harvest there. On my way back to Oskaloosa, I stopped in Kingman, Kansas. There was a harvest crew working there who came from my hometown. That crew was Shughart harvesting. Little did I know but it was to be the best thing I’ve ever done.
They’d no idea I was dropping by but they welcomed me in for three days. While with them, I drove around with the guys in the crew doing various jobs and learning as much as I could in a short space of time. The final morning before I left, I asked them to hire me and told them that they would not regret it. I drove back to Oskaloosa and the very next day I got a phone call from Shughart asking me if I was serious about wanting a job. I told them of course I was and they said: “Well then, we will take you on board.”
New beginning
They told me to take my commercial driver’s licence exam and that they would pay for. And if I passed the written part, they would teach me to drive the machinery and trucks when they came back through Kansas on their way north harvesting.
I took the exam and passed with 94% but that was the easy part as it turned out driving was a whole other matter. The crop was ready sooner than they had expected and I found myself having to figure out how to drive on my own.
At home, John Doman had a crew of his own and gave me his time and truck when they were done for the day. So with a total of 18 hours’ driving time and having only backed a tractor and trailer three times, I went in and took my driving test. I passed by sheer luck and determination. It was imprinted in my mind that I had already succeeded; I was going to pass and I was going to become a truck driver and work for Shughart.
I had very little confidence before I entered this world but little by little I grew more and more confident – in myself and in my ability to always succeed, no matter how hard or daunting the task at hand may be. I have learned there is a place for a woman in a man’s world without her losing her identity as a woman, that it is OK to get very dirty and yet still go home and wash up and paint your nails. It is very rewarding to be able to accomplish what you’ve always been told you can’t.
I am now going on three years as a harvest woman; the past two have been with Demaray Harvesting. I started out not knowing anything. I find myself today knowing how to operate a combine and numerous varieties of tractors and trucks, as well as how to carry out maintenance on the trucks and various other machines and equipment.
Highs and lows
I am currently a truck driver in the crew but my favourite position would be cart operator. I love being on a harvest crew. The wages are not great but the savings are phenomenal due to the fact you have no time to spend your money.
The worst part about being on a harvest crew can be dealing with ignorance from certain people who still feel the crew is no place for a woman. Learning to shut out the negativity from those who know no better can be difficult but it’s very doable. I have no children, which helps when being on a harvest crew.
Chauvinism is the worst part of the job but only if you allowed it to affect you. The salary of jobs I had in the past would have been higher than what I make now but I had more bills then than I do now. Most harvest crews provide room and board and often even food. One can find themselves working from 40 hours a week to 90-plus hours a week. I believe I’ll continue to work on a harvest crew until I meet my financial goal of savings.
I would like to say to any woman entertaining the idea of joining the man’s world, take that leap; do not let the fear of judgments in the past deter you from experiencing what could be. To live life to its fullest capacity is such a wondrous miracle that only few allow themselves to enjoy. Let not the fear of what others think hinder you from your dreams and desires.
Sometimes a woman needs to replace her nail file with a wrench. If you want it, you have to reach out and take it because it won’t come to you. Just remember, everyone was afraid to go to school for the first time. Don’t be afraid now.
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