Latest News From Hog Management

U.S. employers report challenges in finding suitable job candidates with work-ready skills to fill open roles in ag. The AgCareers.com U.S. Skills Survey offers insights, data and trends to address skill development.

H-2A. J1. TN. Don’t be intimidated by this short list of visa worker programs, Dianne Bettin says. They connect U.S. farms with access to “amazing people with great work ethic.” Why should you consider them?

It’s important the friends, family, and business professionals close to farmers are prepared and able to effectively communicate in a mental health crisis.

In recent years, agricultural employers consistently emphasized talent acquisition, but there has been a noticeable shift towards prioritizing retention as the primary focus in 2024.

One of the common ways farms are targeted is by unknowingly giving an animal rights extremist access via employment. Don’t wait for a crisis to arise before you act. Here’s what should be on your 2024 hiring checklist.

Use the topics and tools included in The DIRTT Project to jump-start the succession planning process for your operation whether you are just beginning or need to get on track.

This month’s Rural Mainstreet Index marks the fifth-straight month where the index has been below the growth neutral mark.

To create a safe and comfortable work environment for your farm employees, it’s important to address the specific challenges posed by cold weather on the farm.

For long-term success, farm leaders should regularly assess the landscape of their operation and adjust their strategies accordingly.

These 10 steps can help keep your employees from walking away.

Succession planning can be a complex and emotionally charged process. Achieving consensus among family members, committing to the plan and understanding potential consequences are vital to secure the future of the farm.

The July Ag Economists' Monthly Monitor showed several key changes from June including a bigger cut to corn and soybean yields, a drop in corn and soybean prices and more bullish cattle and hog prices.

To boost employee retention, farms need leaders who can effectively inspire and guide others. The job often requires its leaders to possess a handful of characteristics not necessarily used on other areas of the farm.

Competing for talent is the most concerning human resource matter for agriculture and food employers, followed by recruiting difficulties.

As you look at transitioning leadership and ownership of your farm to the next generation, be ready to tackle entitlement issues. 

When it comes to hiring potential candidates from Mexico to come work on your farm, there are many things to consider before you make the move. Victor Ochoa of Swineworks answers big questions on producers’ minds.

Matt and Lisa Moreland hoped at least one of their sons would return home to farm after college. What they didn’t anticipate? All three sons wanted to come back. Here are four things the family learned in the process.

There is no time like the start of a new year to take a pulse on your company’s compensation and HR practices to see if they are in line with the outlook and trends for 2023. Here are five things to consider.

This year, more than ever, requires you to spend time with your tax adviser to pin down the right amount of taxable income to report. Good luck.  

Cyberattacks happen every single day, and they’re creeping into rural America. Here's what you need to know to protect your operation from cybercrime.

Here's how you can avoid committing these harmony-harming mistakes.

The difference between strategy and serendipity is small when you are prepared.

It’s early. You haven’t had coffee. Everyone knows what needs to be done. You don’t have time. The excuses go on about why you don’t need a morning meeting for your team. But some suggest rethinking that choice.

Many economic factors are at play in the ag industry, everything from stimulus money to higher commodity prices to historically low interest rates. How will these issues impact your farm?

What do the blockage of the Suez Canal for several days and the run on feta cheese resulting from a recipe that went viral have in common? They both place unexpected stresses on supply chains.

Health insurance coverage and healthcare costs are among the greatest challenges for self-employed Americans, including farmers.

As winter weather conditions rage across the country, USDA reminds livestock farmers affected by the winter storms that assistance is available. 

Understand your farm's legal risks of disgruntled neighbors.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue praised the Department of Labor’s new H2A Wage Rule that updates the methodology for determining the annual Adverse Effect Wage Rates in the H-2A visa program.

USDA announces details of the second round of CFAP payments.

A study released in July by researchers at three universities indicates that the number of people reporting rat sightings has increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The disruption COVID-19 has caused the marketplace isn’t going away anytime soon. With that in mind, is now the right time to incorporate more technology into your livestock operation?

Farm Journal Field Days is days away! Plan to join us Aug. 25-27 for this free event.

“A movement like ours is the beginning of the end of animal agriculture,” said Miyoko Schinner of Miyokos Vegan Creamery at a conference this summer. Hannah Thompson-Weeman shares what animal ag is up against.

The Food and Drug Administration has released its National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) Strategic Plan: 2021-2025, and announced 2020 Public Meeting of NARMS scheduled Oct. 13 and 14.

It's the topic no one wants to talk about, but as cooler weather approaches, there's no better time than now to discuss rodent control. Between the pandemic and 2020 weather conditions, rodents are on the rise.

We have a full three-day agenda covering topics including strategies to deal with financial stress to balancing equipment with manpower and much more. 

Leaving a legacy is sometimes complicated by the unknown of who’s next in line. Adam Kline, an attorney who hails from an Indiana farm, shares four options for a farm operation without a successor.

Drought. Floods. Early frost. Heat waves. Everyone knows agricultural production is highly sensitive to changes in weather and climate. A new report takes a look at how agricultural systems are impacted by those changes.

The importance of agriculture and our food system has never been clearer to the world than now. The scale of the crisis is enormous but are there positive actions that pork producers have made and can use post-virus?

We asked livestock producers with employees about their drug testing policies. Here's what we learned.

With Winter Storm Harper on its way this weekend, after a large section of the country received snow this past weekend, now’s the time to take a quick inventory of the snow load on your buildings. 

University of Missouri Extension will hold workshops throughout the state on how to attract and keep quality farm laborers.

Stress is a factor in most professions, but particularly for veterinarians and especially for those just beginning their careers. Here's what to look for, and what to do about it, as the profession responds.

Many farms are emptying out manure storages this fall and the potential for manure gas intoxication is ever present.

Yes, creating an engaged team with a low turnover rate is difficult. But it’s vital and not impossible.

Are you a good leader? Put yourself in your employees’ shoes, and ask yourself that question. Here are tips for helping you become a better manager/leader.

Allocating costs is a tool used to assist in financial and managerial decision making within your operation.

One of the biggest challenges for farmers today is finding and keeping good help. Farms need sophisticated, engaged, dedicated and hard-working employees.

As you develop plans for your summer interns, here are some recommendations straight from students on what they really want from an internship.