Leadership
Have you ever wondered why some topics, people, or plans resist change?
“You’re not rich until you have something money can’t buy.”- Reese Burnett
Half of success is showing up certainly holds true for labor-dependent farms. Although Brett Barlass, dairy manager of Yosemite Jerseys in Calif., shares he went nine years without a no-call or a no-show employee.
The nation’s largest research dairy is underway, as the groundwork has officially begun for the University of Idaho’s Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, better known as Idaho CAFÉ.
The founder and CEO of GoodSport Nutrition, Michelle McBride shares her career path, advice, lessons learned and more in a casual sit-down conversation.
Christine Bender has found ways to motivate and engage her employees through monthly meetings, and the results speak for themselves.
For the first time ever, Farm Journal is offering Milk Business Awards to identify and honor dairy producers in three different categories: technology, young producers and employee excellence.
The days are long, the tasks are endless, and the volatility is unnerving, but being a dairy farmer can also be a rewarding profession.
One of the best ways to retain employees and create the most efficient team possible is to keep team members engaged
Three farmers share what they have done to keep their good employees, including how they hired some unique employees that have become a good fit for their operations.
Amber Horn-Leiterman witnessed her mom doing it all—contributing to the farm, as well as caring for the family. The Wisconsin dairy mom says it’s okay for moms to let down their superwoman powers and ask for help.
When turnover on a dairy is low, employees are motivated and teams work together to reach goals, one has to wonder, what are these managers doing differently?
We all need to find and keep great people for our farms. This is truer than ever before. Maybe you have heard the phrases, “we need the right people on the bus” and “they need to be in the right seats.”
It is hard to think about what our dairy operation could look like three to five years from now. Consider moving one thing on your to-do list off for another day and make time to talk about the future of your dairy.
Last week Tillamook County, Ore. was blanketed with a foot of snow causing barn roofs to collapse and playing havoc to local farmers and milk haulers.
A dozen years ago, Walnutdale Farms experienced something a farm never wishes to happen. The Michigan dairy lost its milking parlor in a fire in 2010. Since then, the family dairy has grown in more ways than one.
Who is the 20-year-old kid milking cows in your parlor right now who has the potential to manage your dairy? Or even be an owner someday? And how will you give them what they need to grow?
The progress U.S. dairy farms have made is remarkable and because of technological advancements, dairies have been able to expand and specialize. As we move forward to the next 60 years, progress is necessary.
Practicing active listening is a way to strengthen your farm leadership skills by reinforcing relationships, building trust and better communicating with your team.
There is no cookie-cutter approach to establishing a work-life balance. It can be different for everyone. In the non-stop work on a dairy farm, they probably are asking, “Where’s the off switch?”
Challenges surface—whether that is from the world around us, our industry, our farm, our family, or even the challenges in our own head. Although dairy farmers are not the kind of people who make excuses.
Having employees take ownership and complete tasks is ultimately what managers seek in employees. Consider these tips to help boost your team’s leadership.
Called the ‘participation trophy’ group, often the younger generation gets a bad rap. However, younger generations have a lot to offer in terms of technology, fresh perspectives and innovative ideas.
Tyler Bohnert gnawed his way to the top by illustrating the very same qualities demonstrated on the family farm. Hard work, teamwork, sacrifice and commitment. Show up. Work hard. No excuses.
The 2022 Milk Business Conference keynote speaker Alex Weber will grace the stage on Wed., Dec. 14th at the Paris Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
To continue being a part of the 2% of dairy farmers that feed the world, we need you all to continue being bold with your decision-making to move your dairy forward. Register today for the Milk Business Conference today!
Conflict is all around us and it certainly is hard to escape conflict on a family farm. Often conflict is thought of negatively, although leading experts say it doesn’t have to be.
Dairy farms managers often push staff meetings aside for the sake of “getting things done.” However, sometimes formal meetings with staff are essential to communicate and problem solve.
Conflict. Everyone wants to avoid it, but experts say that’s never a good move.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.