Year-end accounting doesn’t have to be a scramble. With clear records, early communication, accurate inventories and the right technology, dairy producers can turn year-end into a powerful management tool rather than a stressful deadline.

Under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), every workplace is required to implement a workplace violence and harassment prevention program. This program must adhere to the guidelines outlined in Part III.0.1 of the act, specifically designed to prevent violence and harassment in the workplace. The program must include a clear policy, procedural guidelines, reporting forms and comprehensive training.

If employees are not trained in a language they understand, it is unrealistic to expect them to fully comprehend the safety hazards and risks associated with their job.

Each farm adviser uses a set of metrics from their area of expertise, but how do they all connect to your profitability? Are we even measuring the right things?

Let’s challenge ourselves to rethink how we approach safety on the farm this year. Do you have a dairy farm safety program in place? Is it written down? Do you have regular conversations with your crew about safety? Are your employees getting formal training? Do you make safety a top priority every day?

Whenever I think about family farm transition planning – I always think of a paradoxical statement. Yes, the landscape of transition planning in the dairy sector is becoming increasingly complex and yet the issues and opportunities many families face today have been the same for decades – they’re just now at a heightened level.