“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.

Don’t be afraid to compensate well and provide annual, merit-based raises or bonus structures into the employee budget. Good employees are hard to come by, and keeping them will be much easier than finding them again.

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.

If talk about farm culture leaves you feeling overwhelmed, take a step back and pick just one aspect of your culture to improve. Start with one small thing you can control, whether it be clarity, organization or belonging.

Some may call it a trailblazing enterprise with a strong commitment to stewardship and productivity, but if you ask owner Jerry Huth, he’ll crack a smile and say it’s more of a “4-H project run amok.”

With interest rates, inflation and input costs on the rise and milk futures trending in the opposite direction, a lot of dairy producers I talk to are asking me this question: Is it possible to be a profitable dairy farming business, despite these external pressures?

Retaining entry-level laborers on a dairy is always a struggle for dairies. Here's how one dairy meets that challenge.

Surveys of ranch employees indicate many forgo higher-paying jobs to pursue the culture and lifestyle that comes with ranching. Sure, wages and benefits are important, but ranch employees are motivated by means other than financial compensation.

Ag wages have seen an increase of seen an average of 15% to 20% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A trend is emerging across the dairy industry, with some farmers becoming very professional in how they hire, develop, and lead employees.