Labor
Agriculture is a dangerous business, and dairy is no exception. Knowing the high rate of both injuries and fatalities in agricultural operations, steps to make your dairy workplace safer is essential.
Don’t let your farm be just another place to work. Instead, take time to create a positive experience and craft a wow culture for your employees.
“Nearly every working manager is more competent and comfortable doing tasks,” says Bob Milligan with Dairy Strategies. “That makes it easy to avoid the people side. It is rational but not effective.”
Defining roles keep workers from stepping on each other’s toes.
With recent changes to agriculture overtime laws out east, all eyes have now turned west. Oregon farmers learned the outcome of House Bill 4002, ending the state’s agricultural exemption from higher overtime wages.
Labor is a top concern for dairies. Business experts say the ability to fill agricultural jobs will continue to be a challenge, but illustrates a few trends that may make it a bit easier than the last two years.
Contemplating how to handle New York’s agriculture overtime ruling, New York governor Kathy Hochul has yet to decide if she will accept the state wage board’s proposal to lower overtime for ag to 40-hours a week.
Labor shortages are all-to-common and dairy farms across the U.S. have been feeling the pinch. Roger Herrera understands all too well the constant labor headache, but he is committed to become the employer of choice.
New York ranks fourth in the nation for milk production. If the recent state board recommendations are approved by the state labor commissioner, New York will also rank in phasing in a 40-hour overtime threshold.
The strain of the labor pool facing agriculture is evident. At the IDFA Dairy Forum, its President and CEO, Michael Dykes made the prediction that Congress will pass immigration reform in the next five years.
From local grocery shops to nearby warehouses to the neighboring farm, help wanted signs are literally everywhere you turn. The growing issue of labor shortages has many dairy farmers asking, “Where can I find help?”
Your goal should be to have your new hire leave their first days feeling great about their choice to work for you. There is a lot you can do to make it a success.
Once a dairy takes on employees, it is inevitable that at some point they will have to discipline or terminate one of them. Disciplining and terminating, like hiring, requires the employer to keep records. Dairy operato
A U.S. Department of Labor survey workers on U.S. farms are quite loyal to their employers, and like their bosses.
The debate to lower New York’s agriculture overtime limit to 40 hours has been postponed. New York dairy farmers anxiously await the proposed ultimatum, knowing if passed many farmworkers would find work elsewhere.
Dairy farmer Roger Herrera addressed labor at the recent 2021 Milk Business Conference and while labor shortages are not a new to the dairy industry, it continues to be a constant headache that producers battle daily.
The problem seems straightforward—you need someone to milk cows, feed cows or feed calves. Insert COVID-19 and labor shortages now into the picture and the answer to fill those vacant positions seems complex.
A record 4.3 million people quit their jobs in the United States in August 2021, a historic high that has far-reaching effects on American life in general, and agriculture specifically
Everywhere you go, help wanted signs are out. Farmers can relate because they too are dealing with labor shortages. They are trying to learn how to keep their valuable employees from quitting.
Teamwork – on a dairy or anywhere else – requires trust, so every team member feels valued and compelled to contribute their best effort.
In a world where job opportunities are endless, take the necessary steps to develop areas of work-life balance within your teams.
Leaders who effectively cultivate a culture of connection are more successful at building strong and loyal work teams.
Retaining a poor employee can cost your business more. More money, more time and more employees. Knowing when to “let go” is crucial to your team’s success.
With labor being a top concern for dairy farms, finding people to work is becoming increasingly difficult and retaining good employees is becoming a must.
The logistics of tracking over 25 wholesale primals per carcass side (excluding trim) through a modern processing facility into a box and through distribution channels is a monumental task.
Like many dairy farms, La Luna Dairy struggles to find enough workers to keep their 1,400-cow dairy humming. Not too long ago it did not matter how many help-wanted ads they put out, they still had vacancies.
Look at the decision makers and leaders on your farm. Are they all around the same age? Do they all have the same experience level?
As thriving business owners, what can you do to hire the right people in a labor market where competition is fierce?
While the road to becoming a better manager isn’t any easy one, there are a few steps you can take to not only improve your work performance, but your team’s performance as well.
Shortages reduce efficiency and ultimately reduce revenue.