Employees & Consultants

Lactanet recognizes 2025 top Canadian dairy herds by category

karine@agproud.com — Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

“Through the success of Canada's Best Managed Dairy Herds program and Lactanet's Herd Performance Index, we wanted to expand, recognize and celebrate herds not only across the country, but in their diversity in their type of operation and by milking system on event day,” says Shawna Berry, content and creative manager at Lactanet.

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.

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.

When ‘yes’ actually means ‘no’: Lessons from protocol missteps on the dairy

ester.degroot@cattleytics.com — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

On every dairy, misunderstandings like this happen, sometimes in dosing, sometimes in colostrum feeding, sometimes in milking prep or tagging calves. While some missteps can be costly, almost all point back to the same root cause: people hearing and interpreting protocols differently.

Appreciative Inquiry: Focus on your family strengths to move forward

elaine@elainefroese.com — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 23:00:00 -0400

The Appreciative Inquiry process has challenged our approach to problem-solving. How could focusing on the positive elements of our family business resolve conflicts? It sounds contradictory, doesn't it?

Who is responsible for what on your farm?

elaine@elainefroese.com — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 14:52:20 -0500

If you are gearing up for spring planting or tending to livestock, you know there are many daily tasks to complete, and your mind may be saying “The work on this farm is never done.” Many young farmers are keen to work hard to prove they are ready to become farm managers, but what tools are helpful for founders and successors to delegate the tasks ahead?

Maintenance tips to keep equipment running properly

cheryl@peoplemanagementgroup.com — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Keeping your farm equipment in good condition is a vital part of maintaining a safe operation. Performing regular inspections and routine maintenance ensures your equipment is in safe working condition and can prevent incidents. Employees should not operate any equipment that is not in safe condition.

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.

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.

The business of agriculture: Who is on your team?

chris@centraldairysolutions.ca — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

If we consider your farm a hockey team, you are Conner McDavid. You are responsible for doing the heavy work of production. Relying on your advisers as a team will make your position as the CEO more successful. Scoring goals is great, but our ultimate aim is to win the Stanley Cup of long-term financial success.

10 ways to make your protocols work for you

shari.vandepol@cattleytics.com — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Protocols on a dairy farm are essential for a smooth, organized workflow, ensuring safety and efficiency for cows and farm staff. They maintain high health and well-being standards by supporting proper animal care and management.

Advantages of herd management software

e.bell@uniform-agri.com — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Why exactly is using software so advantageous for you and your herd? Ultimately, it comes down to your goals, wants and needs.

Effective employee training

cheryl@peoplemanagementgroup.com — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The key to good training is to first determine what type of training each position requires. A herdsperson will not need the same type of training as a manager.

Improve financial transparency with your farm family team

elaine@elainefroese.com — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

If the story you tell yourself suggests it’s nobody’s business how you spend your money, ask yourself how you got there and why it has to be like that. I hope you would agree with me that the emotional factors around money affect the farm transition process.

3 steps to help employees be happier at work

rmilligan@trsmith.com — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

What makes the difference between employees who are happy at work and those who are miserable?

It feels so good to talk

elaine@elainefroese.com — Thu, 23 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Decide today that you are going to become more self-aware and self-controlled around the way you communicate to your farm team. I strongly believe good communication is the foundation of successful farms. Talking and listening well is the ultimate risk management tool.

Research Review: What does an average veterinary herd health management visit look like, and can it be optimized?

Thu, 09 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Discover how to use herd health visits as an opportunity to optimize health, welfare and production, leading to more informed, timely decisions to improve herd management over time.

The HR approach to safety culture

cheryl@peoplemanagementgroup.com — Wed, 08 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Human resource management is instrumental in creating a safe work environment and proactive, preventive culture. Part of a positive approach to human resources is actively promoting a positive work environment that values employee health and safety.

Health and safety communication board regulations

cheryl@peoplemanagementgroup.com — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In Ontario, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) mandates that every workplace have a health and safety communication board which includes mandatory components, based on the number of employees within the employer's operation.

Contractor safety on your dairy

cheryl@peoplemanagementgroup.com — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Whatever reason the contractor or subcontractor is working on your dairy, you must understand your responsibilities as they pertain to the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and regulations.

Protect your mental health on the farm

cheryl@peoplemanagementgroup.com — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Farmers work hard and in challenging conditions. Farming is demanding physically, mentally and emotionally. It requires resilient people, but that resilience can take its toll. Concern over farmers’ mental health has increased in the last few years.

Plugged combines and poor communication stop now

elaine@elainefroese.com — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Communication during peak times, like harvest, can have many volcanic events. As I write this, I reflect on Allan Vyhnalek's list of emotions that block negotiation and therefore plug up communication.

The importance of fire drills on the farm

cheryl@peoplemanagementgroup.com — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 07:51:35 -0500

Fire is your farm’s enemy, one that can change your life and the lives of your family and employees in a flash. It is crucial to know what the hazards are on your farm, how to prevent fires and what to do in the event of a fire.

Planning for success: Team dynamics and herd management

lmiller@alltech.com — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

As we know, good welfare is important for cows. However, we also want to ensure we have good welfare practices in place with our two-legged teammates. Their interactions with our cows may also increase their health and well-being.

Overcoming a language barrier with employees

jdelgado@alltech.com — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0400

As a nation that depends on immigrants and foreign labor to work in agriculture, the diversity of this population and their languages bring new challenges to the dairy industry.

Lack of workforce development puts farms at a competitive disadvantage

rmilligan@trsmith.com — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 13:28:45 -0400

“The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.” Since this quote is from Henry Ford, it is approximately a century old. If this was true for his assembly line workers, it certainly is even more true today.

Getting an excellent hire off to a great start

rmilligan@trsmith.com — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 11:25:46 -0400

“The process of ensuring the new employee has a great start, becomes engaged and stays is called onboarding.” Onboarding is more than just the orientation and training that have traditionally been our focus for new employees.

Creating a team that works together to accomplish your goals

aibeatsthebull@gmail.com — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Yes, employees do need training, accountability and incentives to stay on track. However, I generally find the core of most employee problems to be a lack of clear, intentional leadership.

Choosing the best employees to work with calves: It’s not for everyone

mphilibeck@immucell.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 17:51:06 -0500

Raising calves isn’t easy. Good calf raisers need a solid understanding of best calf protocols, treatment and diseases or be willing and able to learn. You know that the job requires a certain skillset and nurturing touch that not many possess.

Large herds and robotics: How to manage your teams to support this change

stephanie.dillon@delaval.com — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 11:45:36 -0500

Are you evaluating the prospect of adopting robotic milking on a large scale? Are you curious what the team for this facility will look like?