Employees

The overtime deduction and agriculture: Clearing up the confusion

bodell@frazerllp.com — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

News of a new federal overtime tax deduction has created confusion across the agricultural sector. While the deduction has been promoted as a form of relief related to overtime pay, it does not provide a meaningful benefit to employers – and it does not apply to agricultural employees at all under current federal law.

Training your workforce: Virtual reality as an aid

axb779@psu.edu — Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

We can't ignore that training dairy farm workers effectively presents dairy farms with several challenges. One promising solution may be the use of virtual reality (VR) technologies.

5 common insurance policy gaps

jacci.wood@agri-servicesagency.com — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

A robust insurance package serves a critical role for your business. Your livelihood depends on factors that happen every day on the farm that are unpredictable or outside your control, and it’s important to be protected when those things happen.

Farm success requires developing your material and people resources

rmilligan@trsmith.com — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Here are four ways your farm can become great at developing and promoting your people. This development is much more than sending employees to educational meetings.

When employee performance slows down: Is it really the employee – or something else?

tim.schaefer@encore-consultants.net — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

When leaders adjust how they lead – not just how much – performance almost always improves. Conversations get easier, expectations feel clearer, and employees start taking more responsibility on their own. Not because they’re being pushed harder. Because they’re being led in a way that fits where they actually are.

The mystery of the night shift: Why protocol drift happens after dark

shaun@futurecow.com — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Whether it’s a five-man double-50, a small flat barn or a rotary, night shifts consistently show the highest deviation from standard operating procedures (SOPs). But the real question is, why? And more importantly, what can we do about it?

Recruiting in 2026: Attracting and retaining talent in the milking parlor

brittany.chase@delaval.com — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Labor shortages and high turnover remain among the top concerns keeping dairy owners and operators up at night. In 2026, the challenge is not only finding workers but also keeping them engaged and committed to one of the most vital roles on the farm.

3 Open Minutes with Demetrio Bautista Ortiz

jenn@agproud.com — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Progressive Dairy connected with Demetrio Bautista Ortiz, a hoof care consultant with Save Cows Network, to discuss on-farm training, employee engagement and creating a support network for improved hoof health on U.S. dairy farms.

Maintaining a low somatic cell count is a ‘whole-farm challenge’ at Shiloh Dairy

matti@agproud.com — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

When Travis and Gordon Speirs of Shiloh Dairy set out to improve milk quality in their Holstein herd, they were aiming for a somatic cell count (SCC) below 120,000. The dairy currently runs a SCC of 77,000. Their secret sauce? Milk quality isn’t a parlor issue.

Underregulated and underinspected: Human resources practices and housing conditions on dairy farms

kjs95@psu.edu — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Given the gaps in labor protections for dairy farmworkers, many modern dairy farmers actively seek to accommodate the needs of their workers to ensure worker satisfaction, which is directly associated with animal health and well-being, and therefore, farm profitability.

The cost of caring: Compassion fatigue in calf raising

lbinversie@bovisync.com — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Compassion fatigue is different. It stems from prolonged exposure to the emotional suffering of others – especially when providing care. While common in professions like health care or veterinary medicine, it is also relevant in animal agriculture.

Conducting a potentially emotional conversation

rmilligan@trsmith.com — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

I have had many conversations with my clients about past emotional conversations and assisting them in preparing for an upcoming conversation they fear may become emotional. This article is to assist you in preparing to succeed as a supervisor in those conversations.

Quality feedback to improve performance and motivation

rmilligan@trsmith.com — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Excellent positive and redirection feedback will enhance your success as a supervisor and increase the performance and motivation of those you lead, supervise and coach.

Does explaining ‘why’ provide motivation for compliance in the milking parlor?

gdc3@psu.edu — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Human behavior can be challenging to change once habits are established. This might be one of the reasons some employers prefer to hire new, inexperienced employees, as compared to those who may bring previously learned bad habits to the job.

The 5 C’s of motivation: How to inspire your team

tim.schaefer@encore-consultants.net — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

I’ve worked with dairies across the country, and one truth keeps surfacing: Motivated teams have healthier cows, solve more problems and stick around longer. Let's look at the 5 C’s of motivation: control, certainty, connection, clout and consistency – with examples straight from the barn.

Tips for successfully transitioning to a supervisor position

rmilligan@trsmith.com — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This article discusses four tips for transitioning from a full-time worker to a supervisory position. These tips also apply to all supervisors.

A safer farm makes a stronger farm: Virginia dairy wife creates emergency kits

frances@agproud.com — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Katie Hammock has been passionate about the medical field for a long time and wanted to bridge that passion with her deep-rooted background in dairy farming. Hammock made this possible when she created emergency farm kits to sell to farmers. Her mission grew to educate, equip and empower farm families.

Milk in motion: Mastering the tempo of parlor performance

craig.walter@vas.com — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Milking parlors are the drumbeat of a dairy – fast-paced, dynamic environments where small changes make a big difference.

Are you building a good culture on your dairy?

brad.herkenhoff@compeer.com — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Your dairy’s culture can be the engine that drives success — or leads to its failure. So what is “culture”? Culture is a shared set of values, goals, attitudes and practices that characterize a business. A strong and healthy team culture can create a sense of unity and shared purpose among employees. It ensures that your employees feel valued and motivated, and it also helps them feel connected to the greater good.

[Podcast] How to proactively prepare and protect your workforce amid ICE raids, I-9 audits and other immigration concerns with Brook Duer

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, join Brook Duer from the Penn State Ag Law Center and host Kimmi Devaney for a conversation about how to be proactive and protect your workforce amid ICE raids, I-9 audits and other immigration concerns.

8 tips for dairy farm recruiting in 2025

rmilligan@trsmith.com — Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In this article, we will look at eight tips for dairy farm recruiting today in three categories: recruiting focus, recruitment materials and recruitment campaign.

Recognizing excellence in dairy farm employees: Fostering a culture of retention in the industry

jdelgado@alltech.com — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In any industry, the value of exceptional employees cannot be underestimated. These kinds of employees will bring positive change, exemplify integrity and exceed expectations in their responsibilities. Many dairy workers in our industry are great examples. To honor and show our appreciation to these outstanding individuals, we need to establish awards as part of our organizations and the industry.

[Podcast] Bob Milligan: Effectively transitioning into a supervisor role

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, learn how to set your star employees up for success as they transition into a supervisor role. Dr. Bob Milligan joins host Kimmi Devaney to chat about easing stress during this leadership transition, getting buy-in from other employees as their peer becomes their supervisor, skills that are essential to work on before transitioning into a leadership role and much more.

[Podcast] Employee training with Michelle Schack

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Veterinarian Michelle Schack joins host Matti McBride on this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast to discuss the importance of employee training and management. Learn more about why documentation, communication and repetition matters regarding training.

Beyond hooves: The human element in tackling lameness

laura.solano@wisc.edu — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Lameness is an issue that impacts every part of the supply chain – not just the welfare and health of cows but also the farmers and their teams working to maintain herd productivity, as well as the dairy processors and retailers seeking to build trust in their brand.

Buy your employee a cow: Empowering your team for long-term success

ester.degroot@cattleytics.com — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This time of year offers a unique opportunity for reflection – both looking back at the successes and challenges of the past year and setting your sights on the future. It's a moment to evaluate your business from all angles and ensure it’s aligned with your long-term goals.

[Podcast] Dwayne Faber: Keeping employees motivated and engaged when managing dairies from afar

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Join host Kimmi Devaney as she chats with Oregon dairy producer and Progressive Dairy columnist Dwayne Faber about moving his dairies to another state, how he keeps employees motivated when he cannot always be there, the qualities he looks for in key employees and what has surprised him most during the transition from managing two farms nearby to managing them from afar.

Noise on the farm

cheryl@peoplemanagementgroup.com — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This article will look at noise levels on the farm, proper precautions and some best practices related to hearing protection. We will also examine employer responsibilities related to employees and noise on the farm.

6 steps to find the right health insurance plan

robin.smith@agri-servicesagency.com — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 10:19:53 -0500

Now is the time to identify your current health insurance plan and decide to either stick with the status quo or change benefit plans. If you’re fortunate to be happy with what you have, then a simple reenrollment works. If your operation has changed over the year – budget and payroll – you might need to reevaluate your offerings.

Tips for having excellent employee performance discussions

rmilligan@trsmith.com — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The purpose of this article is to increase your comfort level in performance discussions. There are two types of performance discussions. The first focuses on training and assigning new tasks and/or responsibilities. The second is providing feedback on the execution of those tasks and responsibilities. The focus of this article is the latter – feedback – although all but the first section applies to both.