I grew up working on our family farm and many other small operations. Farmers used to deal almost exclusively in cash. There were some crackdowns in the last ten years or so, and the practise has declined. Lots of seasonal stuff though, like planting and digging season, is still paid in cash. Good help is hard to find. If I was a farmer and someone said they would only work for cash, I'm not likely going to say no, especially if its only for a couple of weeks. Milking the EI money (unemployment insurance) is an artform on PEI. Its been going on for a long time, and won't be stopping anytime soon. In my own line of work most people are using some sort of healthcare package to pay me, so I gotta stay aboveboard. I can definitely see the appeal though, and have worked here and there out of my house for cash. Just for friends mainly.