The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word COWORKER
C
O
W
O
R
K
E
R
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "fellow farmhand, perhaps" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case fellow farmhand, perhaps = coworker.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does COWORKER mean?
COWORKER noun- Somebody with whom one works.