Farm Relief Worker Steps In as Paderborn Dairy Farmer Undergoes Cancer Treatment
When dairy farmer Beatrix Hammerschmidt-Schlüter was diagnosed with breast cancer, her work schedule ground to a halt as physical labor became impossible. To keep her family’s three-location operation running in Büren within the Paderborn district, the farm relief service dispatched 28-year-old Jan Sommer for a five-day stint.
Round-the-Clock Milking Across Three Locations
Hammerschmidt-Schlüter managed a demanding daily routine that began at 2:30 a.m. with milking, followed by bookkeeping, shopping, cooking, and farm chores until 9:30 p.m. Her husband, Bernhard Schlüter, noted that the dairy operation spans three distinct sites and houses nearly 1,000 cows that require milking three times daily. While the family employs five full-time workers and eight temporary staff members, the sudden absence of the owner created persistent labor strains. We have a good team. Still, you have to beg when they are supposed to work an hour or two longer here and there over weeks,
Bernhard Schlüter said.
How the Agricultural Relief System Operates
To bridge the labor gap, the couple contacted the Betriebshilfsdienst Paderborn-Büren e.V., a non-profit self-help organization run by farmers for farmers across North Rhine-Westphalia. The local association employs 13 relief workers who maintain heavy schedules. Berthold Schlüter, managing director of the relief service, explained that demand frequently outstrips capacity, requiring staff to coordinate with other local farms for available help. Relief workers are trained agricultural professionals employed directly by the associations, with health insurance funds subsidizing approved deployments at 46 euros per operational hour. Participating farmers also pay an annual membership fee of 60 euros to maintain the organization’s budget.
Daily Operations on the Hammerschmidt-Schlüter Farm
Sommer, who joined the family farm for a five-day deployment, assumed responsibilities in the milking parlor and oversees the care of newborn calves, which average two arrivals per day. Although raised in a rural community, Sommer entered agriculture as a career changer drawn to the diversity of relief work, which transitions him between dairy cattle, swine, and poultry operations. And if I can help out in an emergency, that is particularly fulfilling,
Sommer said.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to use the farm relief service?
Agricultural businesses that face labor shortages due to illness, medical rehabilitation, or other emergencies can request assistance through local self-help associations, provided the deployment receives prior approval.
How are farm relief workers compensated?
Health insurance funds cover 46 euros per operational hour for approved deployments. Additionally, member farmers pay an annual fee of 60 euros to support the non-profit associations.
What specific tasks do relief workers perform?
Relief workers handle daily farm operations such as milking livestock and caring for newborns like calves to prevent farm shutdowns during an owner’s absence.
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