According to Sandy Larson of Larson Acres in Evansville, Wis., they don’t have much turnover when it comes to the herdsman or herd manager position.
“The herdsman position is an extremely coveted position on our farm. One of our herdsmen has been with us for 25 years,” she says. “Our previous herdsmen moved into a manager role in another department when the opportunity presented, and that also opened up the chance for someone to transfer to the herdsmen team. When we have an opening for a herdsman, it is typically on the night shift. Those positions have been filled internally lately.”
Larson Acres includes three generations who all play an active role in the operation from the dairy’s humble beginning. Today, the six generation family dairy milks 2,800 cows and farms more than 5,000 acres. The farm has 75 employees who have been with the farm between 3-26 years, with the majority of them being long-term employees.
Some of the key characteristics the Larsons look for when transferring an employee are:
- Dependability
- Shows willingness to go above and beyond
- Displays the need to learn more
- Follows directions well
- Has nurturing qualities with a keen eye for dairy cattle.
Taking Care of Your Employees
Jennifer Bentley, a dairy field specialist with the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach program, says that labor shortages intensify with more generations removed from working on agricultural farms.
“It takes that motivation and training to get those employees engaged and to stay on these farms,” she says.
Jorge Delgado, an on-farm specialist with Alltech, says that owners need to take care of their employees first because they are the ones behind the cows.
“If we treat these guys right, then these guys will feel that they are part of the business, and then they will come with feedback and solutions with ideas that will improve all these things,” he says.
