Latest News From Human Resources

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

Consultant Bruce Vande Steeg has found creating a vibrant farm business starts with the leadership.

Laurenio Vitorino came to America at only 15-years-old. After facing years of hardships and bullying, he found his calling working at a nearby dairy. 34 years later, he continues to bring excellence to the table.

With an enterprise mindset, MKC walks with its farmer-customers.

The merger will be effective March 1, 2024.

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.

From improved telehealth services to reimagined small-town hospitals, the National Rural Health Association is working to help folks in farm country tap into more and better medical care options.

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

Farmers routinely handle high-dollar transactions — and the nature of the payments, often through unsecure methods, leaves them susceptible to foul play.

The availability of livestock workers was ranked as more limited than crop workers and finding long-term help seen as more difficult than temporary help due to the seasonal nature of the ag industry.

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

Prioritizing culture is often overlooked when it comes to employee management and retention.

From English classes to a rideshare program, Vir-Clar Farm is finding new ways to attract employees and make them feel valued.

One dairy’s unique approach to employee retention.

If your available labor pool seems to be getting more shallow, Rachel Beardsley, partner at Fragomen, an immigration law firm, says ag business managers can think more creatively.

“There are some things that we've adopted over the years that really aren't particularly useful and I think in some cases even detrimental to our performance,” says Dave Mitchell.

What if there was one tool to focus on using to achieve the best recruitment and retention?

Cash and essential healthcare products are being donated to aid relief efforts, the company reports.

“Most farms don’t have the time, capabilities, perspectives, resources or desire to do all the tasks it takes to run an operation," says Steve Kluemper, AgriStrategies LLC founder. "A lot of growers hire to fill gaps."

Don’t let day-to-day farm tasks stand in your way of showing some extra gratitude to your hardworking employees.

The Committee on Ag is looking to solve workforce issues with the formation of the Ag Labor Working Group. "Reforms are desperately needed to address this pressing issue," said Co-Chair Rick Crawford (R-Ar.).

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.

Screen potential employees for these qualities.

Follow this strategy to reduce turnover and increase morale on your farm team.

Meetings are an inevitable element of business, but they can be a boon or a bore, depending on how they are run.

President Biden traveled on Sunday to the U.S./Mexico border amid a surge in illegal border crossings. The administration announced a new program for up to 30,000 migrants a month to enter the U.S. legally.

Letting an employee know how he or she is performing can encourage the employee to perform at a high level, and letting the employee know he or she has fallen short can help reinforce expectations.

Managers tend to focus on two groups: the overachievers and the underachievers. As a result, he says, you neglect the employees who could become high performers — aka the B players. 

Officials have been bracing for an influx of migrants when the authority lifts on Dec. 21. The Dept. of Homeland Security is projecting 14,000 migrants may then attempt to cross the U.S. southern border per day.

Your goal is to commit yourself to establishing a culture of thanks on your farm. Try out a few of these ideas during this season of Thanksgiving.

Ensure your farm business attracts and retains employees

Certainly, you can attract new employees and hold on to your current staff by raising wages and improving benefit packages, but helping employees feel engaged and appreciated can also take other forms.

The National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health released on Tuesday will cover everything from a congressional push for $15 per hour minimum wage to research in soil management impacts on human health.

How can you reward team members for good work, increase employee retention and achieve your operation’s goals? Consider implementing an incentive pay system to reward your farm employees.

These scorching summer temps are not only taking a toll on crops and livestock, but farm employees as well.

To stay competitive in the labor market, consider adding an attractive paid time off policy to your farm business to help keep you and employees happy.

How to develop a “Code of Conduct” to guide your interactions with job applicants.

The president of the American Farm Bureau Federation weighs in on immigration reform and year-round work permits, Waters of the U.S. concerns and support for the new Climate-Smart Commodities Program.

You are likely making plans for seasonal help. If that team includes children or grandchildren, you might want to consider setting up a custodial Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) for them.

Follow a thorough process to hire great people 

The power of encouragement on your farm is massive, says Bob Milligan, senior consultant at Dairy Strategies.

Oftentimes managers are quick to spot the top performers and spend majority of their time with them. But what about the employees who have the potential to become high potentials – aka the B players?

To ensure a smooth planting season your team needs to be firing on all cylinders. They also need to be rested and excited for the task at hand. 

Great supervisors and leaders are rare and, in most cases, have worked very hard to become outstanding. It takes knowledge and, most importantly, practice! Bob Milligan offers several time-tested strategies. 

“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.”

There may never be a more important time to focus on the relationships with your employees.

Great supervisors and leaders are rare and, in most cases, have worked very hard to become outstanding. It takes knowledge and, most importantly, practice! Bob Milligan shares several time-tested leadership strategies.

What is the best way to fill current and future labor needs on your farm? Never stop recruiting.

If you’re short on employees, you’re not alone. New forces are at work, and I don’t see them changing any time soon. 

I encourage farm leaders to focus less on needs to be filled season-to-season and more on needs in the 24-to-48-month horizon.