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An Introvert’s Guide to Giving Employee Feedback

By Kaitlyn Lutz

A few weeks ago, I was sitting around a table in a farm office reviewing some employee feedback with the farm management team. Employees, almost unanimously, were asking for more job-related feedback from the supervisors and owners. This was important to work on since giving quality and timely feedback usually improves employee performance and job satisfaction.

While throwing out suggestions on how to achieve this, the farm owner asked this astute and humbling question- how do you give feedback successfully as an introvert? This was a barrier I hadn’t spent much time thinking about, despite my own introverted nature.

Here are some tips for our fellow introverted farmers searching to improve performance and strengthen connection with their farm team:

Mentality shift:

Feedback isn’t criticism or an “atta boy”, it’s a tool to help develop people and your business.

Keep it simple: Situation, Observation, Impact.

Example: “This morning while you were cleaning pens (situation), I noticed you were using headphones while driving the skid steer (observation). Wearing headphones prevents you from hearing what is going on around you and can cause accidents (impact). Please don’t wear headphones while operating machinery, we want to keep everyone safe.”

Keep it short, clear and timely.
More frequent, one-on-one rather than group meetings.
Aim for twice as much positive feedback as re-directive feedback.

The only way to feel more comfortable is to practice delivering feedback. Here’s a checklist to refer to as you start practicing:

Was my feedback specific (i.e., not just “good job”)?
Was I objective and job-focused, not emotional and person-focused?
Did I explain why it matters?
Did I suggest how to improve next time?

Remember, being genuine goes a long way and even though it may feel awkward at first, just like with anything new, practice is the only way to build the skill. The discomfort will fade as you see what a big difference quality feedback makes to your employee connection and your overall farm culture.

By Kaitlyn Lutz, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution.
The post An Introvert’s Guide to Giving Employee Feedback appeared in The Ag Workforce Journal.

Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development logo

Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development Expands Team to Support Farm Employers and Employees

Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development is committed to helping farms create exceptional workplaces staffed by engaged, productive employees. This mission is strongly supported by New York’s agricultural industry and state government partners. As a result of this support, we’re excited to welcome two talented individuals to our team this summer, significantly expanding our capacity to serve farm employers and employees across the state.

Regulatory Extension Associate: Lucas Smith, J.D.
Lucas Smith joins us as an Extension Associate with a focus on regulatory compliance with state and federal labor laws. A native of Clifton Springs in the Finger Lakes region, Lucas earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Sciences from Cornell University, concentrating in business management and policy. He recently completed his law degree at Albany Law School.

Lucas brings a wealth of relevant experience, including work on farms, a student role with Cornell Ag Workforce Development, and positions at a private law firm and the New York State Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). In his new role, Lucas will expand our extension education and research efforts to help farm owners and employees better understand and comply with complex regulatory requirements. Our goal is to support farms in maintaining compliance while operating efficiently in today’s dynamic regulatory landscape

Organization Development Extension Associate: Kaitlyn Lutz, VMD DABVP
Dr. Kaitlyn Lutz joins the team as an Extension Associate specializing in organizational development. Most recently, Kaitlyn worked with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Northwest NY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team as a bilingual dairy educator. She also brings prior experience as a practicing veterinarian in Western New York.

In her new role, Kaitlyn will apply her communication and leadership skills to help farms address human resource challenges and optimize organizational structures. She will lead efforts to assess and enhance workplace culture, design strategic change interventions, and align leadership with production goals to drive performance. Kaitlyn will also conduct applied research to develop and refine tools for organizational development in farm settings. Her work will support farms across New York’s diverse agriculture sectors, including dairy, fruit, vegetable, grape, and greenhouse/nursery operations.

Learn more about the Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development team at our website.

By Richard Stup, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution.
The post Cornell Ag Workforce Development Expands Team to Support Farm Employers and Employees appeared in The Ag Workforce Journal.

Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development logo

Automation won’t replace farm labor anytime soon

Labor costs continue to mount. Regulatory drivers such as minimum wage and overtime increase hourly rates. Meanwhile, labor scarcity driven by immigration enforcement, and demographic factors such as shrinking rural populations further decrease the supply of potential farm employees. When the cost and availability of workers increases, conversations turn increasingly to automation and ways that technology might replace human labor in agriculture. High costs and difficulty finding labor makes the price of labor-saving technology relatively more attractive.

Two recent articles from Choices, the magazine of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association shed some light on technology adoption in agriculture. Automatic Milking Systems: Labor-Savings Route or Costly Gamble for Dairy Farmers shares results of survey of Wisconsin farms who have and have not adopted automatic milking systems. Overall, the findings are inconclusive, highlighting the weakness of survey research in understanding decisions as complex as whether or not to adopt expensive, labor-saving technologies. In the specialty crop sector, Balancing Challenges of Scale and Scope Economies in the Development of Labor-Saving Technology for Specialty Crop Production, does a good job exploring the differences between scale and scope in farm automation. A machine that scales well can handle a lot of volume but may only do one thing, like a combine. While a machine with wide scope may do many things, like a general purpose tractor. Financial economies can be achieved from either high scale or high scope, but specialty crop producers, especially smaller ones, tend to need machines that can do different tasks if they are hoping to replace human labor. Scope remains difficult for farm automation in specialty crops.

The bottom line remains the same. Farm automation and technology will be a significant part of the farm future in the U.S., but it is not a quick and easy solution to the labor challenges the industry will face in the near future.

By Richard Stup, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution.
The post Automation won’t replace farm labor anytime soon appeared in The Ag Workforce Journal.

Onboarding dairy farm employees: New research published!

The Cornell Ag Workforce Development team collaborated with the Ag Workforce Development Council, NEDPA, NYCAMH, agribusiness, and CCE to carry out a project to help dairy farms develop better new employee onboarding programs for their farms. The project was funded in part by NY Farm Viability Institute. We were able to work with 36 farms across the state to improve onboarding practices, in spite of challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected complete data about project results from 17 farms and were able to evaluate the effects of our onboarding development project. The results of our findings were recently published in the Journal of Dairy Science for sharing throughout the U.S. and globally. Thanks so much to our participating farms!

Our full research article is available here: Onboarding dairy farm employees: Improving the new employee experience. For convenience, I’ve copied the article abstract below:

The first days and weeks on the job set the course for a new dairy farm employee. This project involved an educational intervention to increase the use of new employee onboarding practices in dairy farms and analyzed the resulting effects on (1) levels of onboarding practice use, (2) manager perceptions of employee performance, (3) manager satisfaction with the onboarding program, (4) manager concerns about compliance with state and federal employment regulations, and (5) employee turnover. Onboarding advisors (educators and consultants) provided templates, examples, and intensive facilitation directly with farm managers to learn and adopt onboarding practices. A total of 36 dairy farms participated in the onboarding project, and 17 provided a complete set of data from before and after the intervention and were included in this analysis. Dairy managers’ self-reported data indicated statistically significant increases, measured on a 4-point scale, in their levels of onboarding practice use after the intervention for compliance (increase from 2.47 to 3.24) and clarity (increase from 2.53 to 3.24). Of 23 recommended onboarding practices, dairy managers reported tripling their adoption of mission statements, first-day safety training, and sharing job descriptions, whereas adoption of 5 other practices more than doubled. Managers’ satisfaction with their onboarding program significantly increased, going from a mean of 2.65 before the intervention to 5.06 afterward on a 7-point scale. Dairy farm managers reported they were more concerned about their compliance with federal and state employment regulations after participating in the onboarding project, possibly due to increased awareness and rapidly changing regulations. Finally, of the 11 farms that reported complete employee turnover information, an encouraging decline in turnover was observed from before (44%) to after the intervention (28%), but the result was not statistically significant. Our findings demonstrate that, according to self-report, an educational intervention providing templates, resources, and access to professionals with human resource management (HRM) skills was effective in helping farms improve onboarding and increase adoption of specific HRM practices.

We’re planning to refresh and update the onboarding project and enroll some new New York farms during the summer of 2025. Please reach out to us if you are interested in participating, it can be farms of any type who are interested in improving your new employee onboarding program.

By Richard Stup, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution.
The post Onboarding dairy farm employees: New research published! appeared in The Ag Workforce Journal.

Ag English Mentorship program now just $99/person – registration closing April 16

Cornell Ag Workforce Development has launched its third opportunity for Spanish speakers to engage in our Ag English Mentorship program at a limited discounted rate of just $99/person. Registration closes April 16.

Are you ready to help your Spanish-speaking farm employees advance their careers and strengthen communication on your farm? The Agricultural English Mentorship (AEM) program, created by Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development (CAWD), is designed to address the language challenges faced by many farm workers and to provide them with the skills they need to succeed.

With over 60% of farm employees in the U.S. being native Spanish speakers, language barriers can impede productivity and career advancement. The AEM program offers a solution by providing farm employees with the opportunity to improve their English language skills in a way that is practical, engaging, and directly relevant to their daily work on the farm.

What is the Agricultural English Mentorship (AEM) Program?
The AEM program combines professional English instruction, personalized mentorship, and hands-on learning to enhance the language skills of Spanish-speaking farm employees. The program is designed to be both educational and practical, incorporating real-world farm scenarios that directly relate to the work your employees are doing every day.

A mentor must register at no additional cost with the English learner and commit to 15 minutes of mentorship each week. Mentors do not need to know Spanish to participate. The dual goals are to teach specific farm terminologies and to strengthen relationships between the English-speaking mentors and their Spanish-speaking employees while learning English.

Course Format:

Agricultural Focus: AEM is tailored specifically for Spanish-speaking farm employees, using visual and auditory learning tools that are closely linked to farm work and terminology.
English Instruction: Participants can learn at their own pace with pre-recorded videos, followed by live Zoom sessions where instructors provide individualized guidance on topics like pronunciation, grammar, and conversational skills.
Mentorship: Each farm is encouraged to assign an English-speaking mentor to meet with employees weekly. These 15-minute sessions will focus on farm-specific vocabulary and exercises, fostering stronger relationships and better communication between Spanish-speaking employees and English-speaking leadership.

Course Topics Include:

Lesson 1: The Alphabet and Vowel Sounds
Lesson 2: Introductions and Greetings
Lesson 3: Farm Mission Statements
Lesson 4: The History of the Farm (Learning Numbers)
Lesson 5: The Employee Handbook
Lesson 6: The Values and Culture of the Farm

By participating in AEM, farm employees will gain confidence in their English skills, helping to improve workplace communication, enhance productivity, and open doors to career advancement.

Course Dates and Materials:
This course is offered virtually through the Moodle app, accessible from your phone or computer. Materials will be available beginning April 14, and live discussion sessions will be held via Zoom every Friday from April 18 through May 23, 2025 from 2-3 PM EDT. Participation in the Zoom sessions offers valuable collaborative learning opportunities and personalized guidance from instructors, so attendance is highly encouraged. To get the most out of the course, it is recommended that you dedicate at least two hours per week to the activities. Having an English-speaking mentor on your ranch is a key component to success in the program.

We highly encourage attendance at these live Zoom sessions to maximize learning and take full advantage of the personalized instruction available. To get the most out of the course, we recommend that participants set aside at least two hours per week for course activities. The involvement of an English-speaking mentor is a critical component of success in this program and will greatly enhance the overall learning experience.

For more information or to sign up for the Agricultural English Mentorship program, contact Mary Lewis at ml2656@cornell.edu

Supported by Northeast Extension Risk Management Education

TRANSLATED BELOW

Desarrollo de la Fuerza Laboral Agrícola de Cornell ha lanzado su tercera oportunidad para que hispanohablantes participen en nuestro programa de Mentoría en Inglés Agrícola con un descuento limitado de solo $99 por persona. La inscripción cierra el 16 de abril.

¿Listo para ayudar a sus empleados agrícolas hispanohablantes a progresar profesionalmente y fortalecer la comunicación en su finca? El programa de Mentoría en Inglés Agrícola (AEM), creado por Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development (CAWD), está diseñado para abordar las dificultades lingüísticas que enfrentan muchos trabajadores agrícolas y brindarles las habilidades necesarias para el éxito.

Con más del 60% de los empleados agrícolas en EE. UU. siendo hispanohablantes nativos, las barreras lingüísticas pueden obstaculizar la productividad y el desarrollo profesional. El programa AEM ofrece una solución al brindarles a los empleados agrícolas la oportunidad de mejorar sus habilidades en inglés de una manera práctica, atractiva y directamente relevante para su trabajo diario en la finca.

¿Qué es el Programa de Mentoría en Inglés Agrícola (AEM)?
El programa AEM combina instrucción profesional en inglés, mentoría personalizada y aprendizaje práctico para mejorar las habilidades lingüísticas de los empleados agrícolas hispanohablantes. El programa está diseñado para ser tanto educativo como práctico, incorporando situaciones reales de la vida agrícola que se relacionan directamente con el trabajo diario de sus empleados.

Un mentor debe registrarse sin costo adicional con el estudiante de inglés y comprometerse a 15 minutos de mentoría semanales. No es necesario saber español para participar. El objetivo es enseñar terminología agrícola específica y fortalecer las relaciones entre los mentores angloparlantes y sus empleados hispanohablantes mientras aprenden inglés.

Formato del curso:

Enfoque agrícola: AEM está diseñado específicamente para empleados agrícolas hispanohablantes, utilizando herramientas de aprendizaje visuales y auditivas estrechamente relacionadas con el trabajo agrícola y la terminología.
Instrucción en inglés: Los participantes pueden aprender a su propio ritmo con videos pregrabados, seguidos de sesiones en vivo por Zoom donde los instructores brindan orientación individualizada sobre temas como pronunciación, gramática y habilidades de conversación.
Mentoría: Se anima a cada granja a asignar un mentor angloparlante para que se reúna con los empleados semanalmente. Estas sesiones de 15 minutos se centrarán en vocabulario y ejercicios específicos de la granja, fomentando relaciones más sólidas y una mejor comunicación entre los empleados hispanohablantes y los líderes angloparlantes.

Temas del curso:

Lección 1: El alfabeto y los sonidos vocálicos
Lección 2: Presentaciones y saludos
Lección 3: Declaraciones de misión de la granja
Lección 4: La historia de la granja (Aprendiendo los números)
Lección 5: El manual del empleado
Lección 6: Los valores y la cultura de la granja

Al participar en AEM, los empleados de la granja adquirirán confianza en su inglés, lo que les ayudará a mejorar la comunicación en el trabajo, a aumentar su productividad y a abrirles las puertas al desarrollo profesional.

Fechas y materiales del curso:
Este curso se ofrece virtualmente a través de la aplicación Moodle, accesible desde su teléfono o computadora. Los materiales estarán disponibles a partir del 14 de abril y se realizarán sesiones de discusión en vivo por Zoom todos los viernes del 18 al 23 de mayo de 2025, de 2 a 3 p. m., hora del este. La participación en las sesiones de Zoom ofrece valiosas oportunidades de aprendizaje colaborativo y orientación personalizada por parte de los instructores, por lo que se recomienda encarecidamente la asistencia. Para aprovechar al máximo el curso, se recomienda dedicar al menos dos horas semanales a las actividades. Contar con un mentor angloparlante en su rancho es clave para el éxito del programa.

Recomendamos encarecidamente la asistencia a estas sesiones de Zoom en vivo para maximizar el aprendizaje y aprovechar al máximo la instrucción personalizada disponible. Para aprovechar al máximo el curso, recomendamos que los participantes dediquen al menos dos horas semanales a las actividades del curso. La participación de un mentor angloparlante es fundamental para el éxito de este programa y mejorará considerablemente la experiencia de aprendizaje en general.

Registro: https://cvent.me/ZOl88m

Para obtener más información o inscribirse en el programa de Mentoría en Inglés Agrícola, comuníquese con Mary Lewis en ml2656@cornell.edu.

Con el apoyo de Northeast Extension Risk Management Education

Farm-provided Employee Housing Webinar today at 12 PM

Join Jay Canzonier of Cornell Ag Workforce Development and Anna Meyerhoff of NYCAMH for the Farm-provided Employee Housing on Ag Workforce Central Virtual Office Hour today at 12 PM. Learn about successful strategies for fostering a safe and positive culture around housing and get insights into the new Agricultural Employee Housing Expense Calculator and its early impact on participating farms!

Advance registration is required.

📅 Date: March 12, 2025
🕒 Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM
📌 Topic: Farm-provided Employee Housing
🎯 Register now.

Ag Workforce Central Virtual Office Hour is a bi-monthly webinar series offering expert insights on key topics affecting the agricultural workforce. Featuring Cornell experts and guest speakers, these sessions provide valuable strategies on everything from regulatory compliance and leadership development to creating a positive culture within farm businesses.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity for interactive discussions and practical takeaways!

Change your clocks, change your batteries

Source: National Fire Protection Association

As we “spring forward” this weekend for daylight savings, it’s the perfect time to also check your smoke alarm batteries. In farm-provided employee housing, safety is a top priority and ensuring smoke alarms are working properly can make all the difference in an emergency. Don’t wait—take a few extra minutes to change those batteries and protect your families and coworkers year-round.

The following information from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is to help make sure all smoke alarms have working batteries, accounting for the multiple types of smoke alarms on the market and their varying battery requirements:

Smoke alarms with non-replaceable 10-year batteries are designed to remain effective for up to 10 years. If the alarm chirps, warning that the battery is low, replace the entire smoke alarm right away.

Smoke alarms with any other type of battery need a new battery at least once a year. If that alarm chirps, warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.

When replacing a battery, follow manufacturer’s list of batteries on the back of the alarm or manufacturer’s instructions. Manufacturer’s instructions are specific to the batteries (brand and model) that must be used. The smoke alarm may not work properly if a different kind of battery is used.

By Jay Canzonier, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution.
The post Change your clocks, change your batteries appeared in The Ag Workforce Journal.

Registration required for Farm-provided Employee Housing webinar on March 12th

Join Jay Canzonier of Cornell Ag Workforce Development and Anna Meyerhoff of NYCAMH for the Farm-provided Employee Housing on Ag Workforce Central Virtual Office Hour on March 12th. Learn about successful strategies for fostering a safe and positive culture around housing and get insights into the new Agricultural Employee Housing Expense Calculator and its early impact on participating farms! Advance registration is required.

📅 Date: March 12, 2025
🕒 Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM
📌 Topic: Farm-provided Employee Housing
🎯 Register now.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity for interactive discussions and practical takeaways!

Carbon Monoxide: The Silent Killer

Every year in the United States hundreds of people perish, and tens of thousands are treated in emergency rooms for accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. In recent weeks, there have been reports both locally and nationally where carbon monoxide poisoning has been the cause for tragedies that could have been avoided with awareness, and preparation.

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas released from incomplete combustion of fuels from man-made sources, such as vehicle engines, and from natural occurrences such as forest and brush fires. It is nearly undetectable by humans because it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless.

Dangers

Carbon monoxide, when inhaled, prevents oxygen from attaching to the blood, and disrupts the release of oxygen already in the blood, preventing oxygen from entering tissues. This severely effects the organs that need oxygen the most like our brains and hearts. Immediate medical treatment is critical. Even low doses of carbon monoxide over a period of time will produce symptoms that mimic a cold or flulike symptoms. If you feel better once you are away from the enclosed area (home or workspace) carbon monoxide poisoning should be considered.

If you witness someone suffering from any of these symptoms, CALL 911, and use extreme caution so you too do not become a victim.

Altered level of consciousness
Confusion
Dizziness
Fatigue
Headache
Impaired judgement
Nausea and vomiting
Seizures

Sources

Machinery and vehicles with engines.
Fuel burning appliances such as furnaces, water heaters, stoves, and fireplaces.
Gas, oil, and propane fired space heaters.

Prevention

Proper ventilation when using carbon monoxide producing appliances.
Never use cooking ovens or stovetops for home heating.
Have all heating systems and chimneys inspected and serviced annually.
Follow instructions and warnings for indoor heaters.
Do not run engines in a building without proper ventilation.

Detection

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends carbon monoxide detectors be installed:

On every occupiable floor including the basement
In each bedroom, or outside the bedroom but within 15 feet of the bedroom door.
In every bedroom that contains a fuel burning appliance (fireplace, gas fired heater, etc.)
At a height of at least five feet from the ground or floor level
Always check for additional local requirements.

It is up to you to make carbon monoxide safety a priority – awareness and preparedness are the best defense against tragedy. Act now to ensure your family and employees are safe from this terrible threat.

Print these safety sheets from NFPA to increase awareness on your farm:

English

NFPA CO Safety Sheet – English

Spanish

NFPA CO Safety Sheet – Spanish

By Jay Canzonier, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution.
The post Carbon Monoxide: The Silent Killer appeared in The Ag Workforce Journal.

Start 2025 Strong: Elevate Your Team’s Skills with Online Leadership and Language Training!

Start the new year by sharpening your leadership skills with Ag Supervisory Leadership (ASL) 104: Staffing and
Organizing Your Team. This essential online course, starting January 17, 2025, is perfect for farm managers, supervisors, and HR professionals eager to build a stronger, more effective team.

Course topics:

Becoming a preferred employer
Personnel planning
Job descriptions
Avoiding bias and discrimination
Recruiting and interviewing
The selection process
Hiring and onboarding

Key Details:

Start Date: January 17, 2025
Live Sessions: Thursdays at 3 PM ET (January 23 – February 27, 2025)
Cost: $275 (NY residents) | $325 (Out-of-state)
Scholarship: $100 for eligible dairy producers

Pre-register by January 22, 2025.

For more information or to register, visit our ASL page.

Another opportunity for skill development is our Agricultural English Mentorship (AEM) Program:
The AEM program helps Spanish-speaking farm employees improve their English through professional instruction, mentorship, and practical farm scenarios. This opportunity will only be available for a limited time.

Key Features:

Mentorship: Each farm assigns an English-speaking mentor for weekly 15-minute sessions, focusing on farm-specific vocabulary.
English Instruction: Participants learn at their own pace with pre-recorded videos and live Zoom sessions covering pronunciation, grammar, and farm-related terms.
Course Topics: Includes lessons on the alphabet, greetings, farm culture, employee handbooks, and more.

Course Details:

Start Date: January 17, 2025
Live Sessions: Fridays, January 24–February 28, 2025
Platform: Moodle app (accessible on phones and computers)
Commitment: 2 hours per week, including mentor meetings

Why Participate?
Improve communication, increase productivity, and support career growth for farm employees.

For more info or to register, visit AEM Program page or contact Mary Lewis at ml2656@cornell.edu.
Registration closes 1/23.