Want success? Take care of your people – Part 2

Posted on October 26, 2017 in Dairy Performance
2016 Coyne-web

By Peter Coyne
As I mentioned in part one of this series, success on the farm starts and ends with good employees.  We discussed the qualities of good managers and how good management starts at hiring.  In this second article, we will talk about what managers can do to keep employees engaged once they are hired.

Want success? Take care of your people

Posted on October 16, 2017 in Dairy Performance
Coyne2017

By Peter Coyne
Employees are the most valuable asset on a dairy farm and managing those employees well is the true key to success on a farm. 

Set the expectations millennial employees crave

Posted on May 23, 2017 in Dairy Performance
Hagenow

By Bob Hagenow
The workforce is currently made of three different generations:

  • Baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964)
  • Millennials (those born between 1980 and 2000)
  • Generation X (those born between these two generations)

Each of these generations approaches work and is motivated differently based on the life experiences that shaped them.

Be safe around manure pits

Posted on October 18, 2016 in Dairy Performance
Hall

By Scott Hall
Agriculture is one of the most dangerous industries to work in when it comes to injuries and fatalities in the work place. In 2013, 23.3 fatalities per 100,000 workers were reported in the agriculture industry alone. Although no shortage of dangerous jobs exists in agriculture, one of the more hazardous areas to work in or near is the manure pit. This is a hazard many farm workers and family members can be exposed to, specifically the gases given off, and, if proper safety measures are neglected, death can result from exposure.

Hire employees focused on service

Posted on May 13, 2016 in Dairy Performance
Stewart

By Brittany Gevelinger
Anyone can be a leader as long as he or she understands that service is the basis of leadership, knows that being authentic means being a leader in every aspect life, and has a servant’s heart.

Use post-season evaluation to assess the harvest

Posted on October 27, 2015 in Dairy Performance
By Chris Wacek-Driver Hopefully, the 2015 harvest season’s efforts have rewarded your farm with adequate inventory and quality feed for the year ahead and will be reflected in profitable milk production and healthy cows.  Equally as important, we hope all this was accomplished efficiently and safely. With the last tire on the bunker and the

Conflict: Cows can be the easy part of farm management

Posted on July 31, 2015 in Dairy Performance
By Jack Hales and Barry Visser The care and comfort of the cows is of utmost importance, but, some days, managing the cows is the easy part.  The biggest conflict from the cows’ perspective may be resolved by moving the dominant cow to another pen. It’s not so easy with people. Occasionally, “big picture” conflicts

Help farm workers meet goals with performance evaluations

Posted on July 20, 2015 in Dairy Performance
By Jim Lewis and Andy Nytes Improving farm business performance presents an everyday challenge for employers and owners.  Continuing at the current level of performance is never really considered an option for goal-oriented people, whether they are owners or supervisors. As managers, however, we quickly learn that we cannot accomplish improved performance on our own.

The 3 R’s for coaching employees

Posted on March 11, 2015 in Dairy Performance
By Jon Wilcox Bobby Knight, a college basketball coach with more than 900 victories and nicknamed “The General,” was perhaps most famously remembered for his fierce, combative, expletive-laden, chair-throwing style.  Yet he’s loyally defended and fanatically revered by most of his former players. Contrast him with the quiet and calm Tony Dungy.  Dungy’s accomplishments include

Motivate frozen employees

Posted on March 6, 2014 in Dairy Performance
By Bob Hagenow Unquestionably, this winter has been tough on everyone and many have reached their tolerance level for cold and snow.  The forecast shows some hope, but March is infamous for surprises and Old Man Winter will probably make a couple more appearances.  So how do you encourage motivation amongst your team while you

So it’s time to hire a new employee on the dairy

Posted on February 13, 2014 in Dairy Performance
By Dr. Al Schultz and Peter Coyne As your dairy business grows or an employee moves on, you are tasked with hiring a quality employee.  Done right, this can be a stimulating process that invigorates the entire team.  But the wrong hire can be a millstone around your neck, a financial drain and a threat

Safety and care in the bitter cold

Posted on January 6, 2014 in Dairy Performance
Working in these extremely cold temperatures is not easy.  Please do your best to work safely as you care for your animals.  Here are a few reminders from your Vita Plus team for dealing with harsh winter conditions on the farm: For your team By Scott Hall, Vita Plus safety director You can’t take care

High-functioning teams drive today’s top dairies

Posted on November 29, 2013 in Dairy Performance
By Peter Coyne Many people who work with cows on a daily basis have a solid understanding of cow behavior.  Cows are fairly predictable. What about the people you work with? Today, dairies of all sizes depend on teams of people who work together to accomplish the tasks necessary to make the farm profitable.  Unquestionably,

Healthy culture drives business success

Posted on April 11, 2013 in Dairy Performance
By Jon Wilcox A family with energetic boys raised cattle on a hobby farm. A well-intentioned neighbor, with decades of experience in cattle production, was critical of the “results” he saw and often shared his wisdom. One evening, as the neighbor was chastising the father, the mother finally stepped in and said, “You don’t seem

Safety is a part of your business too

Posted on March 29, 2013 in Dairy Performance

By Scott Hall 
Farm safety has always been a concern to protect workers and family members. In the past, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has placed most of its energy on construction and general industry. 

Whole forage team not on the same page? Now’s the time to get there.

Posted on March 1, 2013 in Dairy Performance
By Chris Wacek-Driver As March begins and we’re optimistic that the snow will soon melt, we’re looking forward to spring and summer and being back in the fields.  That includes putting together our forage plans.  But is everyone on the same page?  If we aren’t now, we surely won’t be come harvest season. Let’s fast-forward