Training Is a Must

September 12, 2012

By: Dairy Today Guest Editor

Larry Hancock

Muleshoe, Texas

A dairy pioneer on the Texas High Plains, Prairie View Dairy milks 4,200 Holsteins.

**Extended comments highlighted in blue.

Prairie View Dairy has been in Muleshoe, Texas, for a long time, since 1978, and we had the opportunity to watch the dairy industry grow tremendously. That said, dairying is experiencing some tough times right now. Friends and neighbors who have worked their whole adult lives in the field they love are leaving the business, and we realize efficiency in every area, including staffing, is vital to be able to continue.

We are probably very similar to most dairy farms: part of the staff has been with us for a long time (a few more than 20 years), and some seem to come and go. Over the years, we have tried many different types of incentives and development tactics to get and keep the best employees possible.

Our area is small-town and very rural. Most of the people who come looking for work are locals who have heard from family or friends that we keep a hiring list and are a good company to work for.