The place we are born can significantly shape our culture, behaviors, and how we view the world. In the ag industry, understanding and valuing cultural differences is vital for improving farm business culture and ensuring a well-trained workforce. As the demand for labor increases alongside the growth of dairy herds, addressing cultural barriers becomes increasingly important.
The Importance of Cultural Awareness
The Farm Journal State of the Dairy Industry report illustrates that nearly a third of survey respondents voiced high concerns regarding labor retention.
A 2014 labor survey by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) found that immigrant labor accounts for 51% of all dairy labor. This reliance on immigrant workers underscores the necessity for cultural competence within the industry. More recent data from the National Dairy FARM’s 2019 survey, which focused on language rather than immigration status, revealed that 53.5% of farms employ individuals whose native language is not English.
Eighty percent of the agricultural workforce in the U.S. speaks Spanish, highlighting that language barriers are substantial but far from the only challenges faced. To foster a productive and harmonious working environment, it’s crucial to appreciate and respect cultural differences.
Insights from Leading Industry Advocate
Katie Dotterer, whose family owns and operates Dotterer Dairy, a third-generation Pennsylvania dairy farm, has made it her personal mission to teach Spanish to farm workers at all levels — from owners and managers to those who work beside Spanish speakers on a frequent basis.
According to Dotterer, cultural awareness is “the understanding of the differences between themselves and people from other countries or other backgrounds, especially differences in attitudes and values.”
Having studied abroad in Panama and becoming certified in English as a Second Language (ESL), Dotterer has spent over 21 years working closely with Spanish speakers in the dairy industry. She emphasizes the importance of taking time to learn about the culture of dairy employees.
“Learn about their families, their traditions, their beliefs, their food,” she advises, sharing that she has fond memories of speaking to her family’s first Spanish speaking worker, Octavio, when she was a teenager.
“I will never forget him. I was milking the night shift, and he just reignited my love for the language and for the culture. He taught me a lot,” Katie says. “Through the years, I witnessed a lot of segregation and unfair treatment of people that did not speak English, that had a different skin color, that had a different culture than our own, and it really bothered me.”
Dotterer offers online, eight-week-long courses with lessons geared toward agricultural vocations, terms and experiences.
“I wrote this curriculum specifically for agriculture,” she explains. “When we learn numbers in Spanish, I have an activity where we practice cow ear tag numbers.”
While she covers specific milking parlor terminology vocabulary for dairy, she also teaches basic Spanish knowledge like the days of the week to help with scheduling and prepositions.
“I think people forget how useful prepositions are: to the right, to the left, to the back, to the front, next to, beside,” Dotterer said. “I give examples like, ‘Can you grab the bucket beside the office door?’ or ‘The medicine is on the table in the break room.’”
To research her course material, she visited countless dairy, poultry and swine farms, traveled abroad to several Spanish- speaking countries, and spoke to Spanish- speaking workers in various industries.
The Importance of Respecting and Valuing Cultural Differences
While Dotterer is well-versed in both the Spanish language and Hispanic culture, she acknowledges that it’s unrealistic to expect everyone to know everything about another person’s culture. However, she insists that respect is non-negotiable. “No one expects you to know everything about their culture,” Dotterer states, “but they do expect you to respect it.”
Dotterer concludes, “Embrace differences, reach across cultural borders and you’ll open yourself up to a whole new world of possibilities and experiences.”
Fostering cultural awareness and respect within the dairy industry can lead to a more cohesive and productive workforce. Embracing the rich cultural diversity of the agricultural workforce not only enhances personal relationships but also improves overall business operations.
To learn more about Dotterer’s agriculture-focused Spanish classes, visit www.agvokate.com. The registration deadline for the Fall 2024 courses is September 20th. For more information, including the Human Resource Manual from NMPF’s The FARM program, provides guidance about establishing good on-farm culture and communication, which includes understanding and valuing the diverse perspectives of employees.
