The dairy industry in Wisconsin changes daily and farmers continue to have more and more responsibilities.
Trisha Wagner, an agriculture agent with Jackson County UW Extension in Black River Falls, believes that farmers can make the day-to-day operations of their farms run more smoothly with some guidelines and tips.
Farmers have several issues on their minds every day, such as their finances, animal health and welfare, veterinarian needs and services, functional machinery, having enough feed for the animals, growing crops, keeping the farm clean, current laws and employee issues.
“I think all of these factors are important,” said Wagner.
She once heard an interesting farming analogy, machinery monitoring equipment will analyze so many aspects of the planting and harvesting operations every moment farmers are in the tractor or combine.
They watch everything very carefully, such as fluid levels in the tractor, seeding rates and yields, and moisture levels because if a problem arises, it can shut down planting or harvesting when time is so crucial.
If farmers do not monitor their finances diligently and frequently, however, problems also can arise that have the potential to shut operations down permanently.
“It’s difficult for a farmer or farm family to cover all of these topics alone. Some things will come naturally and other things, even if a consultant is hired, require more focus, education and training,” said Wagner.
Another important issue farmers should be aware of is effective communication. They do not usually have any opportunities to get trained on successful communication, but it should not be taken lightly, or for granted.
Without good communication skills, an operation, no matter its size, will struggle.
All employees should work together to develop open and effective communication skills, said Wagner.
“More farmers are managing employees and working with consultants and partners. And more often today, business dealings require more than a handshake,” said Wagner. “It’s important for farmers to practice continuing education in this aspect as well.”
Wagner emphasizes the importance of getting to know all employees, whether they are family members or not. Employees will not perform at their best if they feel underappreciated and overworked.
It is crucial to any farm or small business to give the employees a feeling of inclusion. By feeling included, they will be excited and enthusiastic about their jobs and, as a result, will help farmers grow and improve their farms rather than have adverse effects.
Many farms in the U.S. are family-operated, which can make setting boundaries tricky. That means that the hierarchy within the business is important and everybody involved should be very clear on who assumes the boss responsibilities.
It’s also beneficial for employees to understand the family and business roles around the farm.
Some qualities of a successful family farm include a willingness to learn and grow; being open-minded and willing to make changes; reinforcing positive family values; including all family members and employees in any recreational activities; exhibiting mutual respect; giving each other support, both about work-related issues as well as personal issues and respecting each other’s personal space and time.
Wagner also says 88 percent of employees who voluntarily leave their jobs do so because of reasons not related to money, such as personal conflicts with managers or other coworkers, unclear job responsibilities and expectations, not enough coaching or feedback, very little opportunity for growth and advancement, feeling underappreciated and overworked or because of a loss of confidence in the leaders.
An employee handbook can be a great way to solve many of these issues.
“It’s your chance to clearly inform each employee about your business policy and procedures,” said Wagner.
An employee handbook is a written document that tells employees how the business is run, what is expected from them and what they can expect from the boss.
There are five steps to creating an employee handbook.
Farmers should start by asking themselves a series of questions, which include deciding if they are ready to make decisions about policies, procedures and rules for their business; treating all employees consistently according to the rules and policies within the handbook; and discussing the employee handbook with their employees.
Also, they must be willing to make changes and updates to the handbook as needed.
Secondly, farmers should be aware of their audience, or the people who will be reading the handbook.
Those people may include casual employees, part-time employees, permanent employees or a mix of the employees.
Third, there are legal considerations for farmers. They should be cautious about discrimination issues as well as terms such as employment at will.
The employee handbook should not be considered a contract and they should always have a lawyer review it before handing out copies to employees.
Fourth, there are ways to make employee handbooks easier to write. Farmers should use simple, clear language and positive words. They should provide reasons for their rules and give clear explanations of those reasons. Another great way to make employees feel included is to ask for their input when writing a handbook.
Lastly, provide a unified direction for the business that includes mission and vision statements along with core values.
Some core values might include the following.
• Pursuing and implementing the latest technology rather than waiting until something breaks down to fix it.
• Following professional business operating methods with the common good in mind rather than working only toward family goals and desires.
• Maximizing profits and living for today instead of becoming stressed about future goals and sustainability.
• Remembering to keep priorities in an order that is beneficial for all and thinking about the personal and family needs of employees.
Wagner works with farmers, consultants, farm organizations, committees and associations every day to promote communication. She also identifies needs and interests of those people and then connects them to resources and information available at the UW.
She deals with many different topics, such as dairy reproduction, helping dairy farm employees translate technical information and planning county and statewide programs and projects.
“I find many farmers are surprised at the resources available to them through the UW Extension,” said Wagner.
Many farmers are learning something new when they start working with the UW Extension, while others simply use the information provided as a refresher to take back to their farms and put into use.
Wagner enjoys listening to the people of Wisconsin, learning what their concerns are and then sharing the information and resources at the University to help them solve problems.
“That is the part I like most about my job,” she said.
Source: Agriview