I have quite a few neighbors, but they aren't always on when I need "emergency harvesters".
I prefer hiring neighbors so that I don't have to go to the MP to hire. I wonder if it would be possible to have a thread on the forum where anytime (day or night) people could post what they have to harvest. (I usually hire them to plow as well). I also hired a neighbor today to fish for me. She doesn't have all of the "water types" that I have and was able to get salmon and lobsters for her facilities. Just saying...
The upside is that many people have their farms linked. It would be easy to get there. Also, they would know that they are coming to WORK, not to goof off!