Articles
Farm Management Articles
Research-based information and tools to help with your farm business management decisions
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Effective Farm Safety Training Starts with a Purpose
The top strategies include conducting regular educational meetings, promoting open employer-employee communication and acting in ways that create a workplace culture where safety is accepted, valued and viewed as key to business success.
What’s the value of being a good boss?
The reduction in stress is a significant benefit of being a “good boss.” Then there’s the fact that well-trained employees take better care of cows and equipment.
¿Refleja tu cultura quién quieres ser como empleador?
English | Spanish Cómo medir su cultura empresarial en la granja ¿Por qué utilizar una encuesta para empleados para medir la cultura? Las prácticas laborales sólidas orientadas a atraer, capacitar, retener y recompensar a los empleados deben reflejar una comprensión clara de las opiniones y experiencias de los empleados. La cultura agrícola representa “la forma en […]
The Business Case for Safety on the Farm
Farms are Risk Filled Working on a farm is inherently risky—whether you are a family member on a small operation operating equipment or caring for animals—or a hired employee on a bigger operation performing more specialized jobs. Data from the National Safety Council and the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics documents a per capita death […]
Building a Positive Farm Business Culture: Characteristics of Latin/Hispanic dairy workers
The place we are born can impact our culture—our behavior and how we view the world. People who come from different countries have different cultures; the more we interact with people from different countries the more we learn about our cultural differences and similarities. Understanding and valuing cultural differences is important to improving farm business culture.
Does Your Farm’s Culture Reflect Who You Want to Be as An Employer?
Sound employment practices geared toward attracting, training, retaining, and rewarding employees must reflect a clear understanding of employee views and experiences. The farm culture represents “the way things get done around here,” and it can be positive or present a challenge for employees. The culture on a farm may not be obvious or visible, but it is there.
The Farm Business Culture
Culture—whether of an individual or an organization—is an important but often challenging concept to grasp. Farm business culture relates to the values, goals, beliefs, and way things are done on the farm – communication, how work is accomplished, how achievements are celebrated.
Can You Motivate Employees?
Many employers think people are motivated to work for reasons of pay. Research on self-determination theory and work motivation tells us that humans are motivated not simply by material possession, but also by enjoyment and meaning that our actions bring us.
How to Avoid the Risks of Heat Stress
Each summer, farm employees work through days of extreme heat and humidity – often starting in May or June and continuing into September.
Interview tips to help you find top talent
Like any business, farms depend on good employees for things to run smoothly. When you have a vacancy on your team, structure your interviews so that you can hire the best available employee. Make sure you prepare for interviews in advance, and allow yourself enough time to consider each individual carefully.
Writing effective job descriptions
Job descriptions add clarity to farm tasks and procedures, helping to avoid confusion and potential disagreements about the work at hand, and delineating who is responsible for those tasks. This can also improve working relationships and keep things running smoothly for all employees, including family members working on the farm.