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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.

Register: https://cvent.me/ZOl88m

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

Crop inputs: are your employees getting enough?

Summer: that magical time of the year when crops are developing quickly, drawing farmers out to admire the productive beauty of spring’s work. The first signs of success or failure are becoming clear: tillage, seed selection, planter accuracy, fertility, weed control…all good? It’s amazing what can be learned through a bug-splattered windshield. To the significant others forced to go along, don’t be fooled. Checking fields in a truck that hasn’t been cleaned since before the last frost…is NOT a date. Get a rain check.  

When was the last time you nosed your pickup into employee workspaces to make sure that they have the inputs they need to grow into the successful contributors your farm business depends on: 

  1. How well positioned is your farm business with leaders ready to lead through the challenges ahead?
  2. Who is the emerging talent within your team with growth potential to fill those needs? 
  3. When will your business need those leaders ready to engage bigger roles ensuring your farm a future with stability and growth? 
  4. What training and development opportunities do you have in place to cultivate those key employees?

Those are hard questions. If we were still talking crop, by now you’d be calling your seed salesman or equipment dealer…we all know new paint always arrives with promise, regardless of color. In this case the first conversation you need to have is with those employees that will be the brace roots that anchor your farms future. Discuss with them what their short- and long-term career goals are, and what career opportunities and aspirations you have for them as a key member of your team. 

The busy summer season is a great time to pull a “team sample” of where your workforce’s strengths and weaknesses are. Look for areas that could use a few more “units” of skills development. By evaluating now, plans can be made to take advantage of employee development opportunities in the upcoming off season. There are many that don’t come with the sticker shock of new iron; here are just a few to grow on: 

On-line Certificate Programs: (Many available in English and Spanish) 

Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development – Agricultural Supervisory Leadership  

Cornell Pro-Dairy Online Courses 

Cornell Small Farms Courses & Trainings 

Dairy Specialist Apprenticeship:  

New York State Registered Dairy Specialist Apprenticeship-Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development  

Safety Training: 

NYCAMH On-Farm Safety Trainings 

There are many programs available, not just about learning but mentorship and turning knowledge into practical skills that keep your best talent rooted in your farm. When your team sees that you’re invested in their growth, they’re more likely to stay and grow alongside your business. That means lower turnover, less time spent recruiting, and more time enjoying the fruits of your labor.

______________________________________________________________________
By Jay Canzonier, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution.
The post Crop inputs: are your employees getting enough? appeared in The Ag Workforce Journal.

La experiencia es oro

English translate to follow…

Cuando la experiencia vale más que el dólar

¡No todo está bajo el control del poderoso dólar! En el mundo agrícola, la experiencia es invaluable y puede ser incluso más valiosa que el dinero. Al brindar oportunidades para que nuestros compañeros adquieran experiencia, mejoramos su satisfacción en el trabajo, fortalecemos su compromiso con nuestro rancho y, en consecuencia, aumentamos la eficiencia y productividad. Aquí hay algunas áreas clave para ofrecer experiencia a nuestros compañeros:

  1. Capacitación Continua

¿Ha preguntado a sus compañeros si hay algo técnico que les gustaría aprender en el rancho? La capacitación es fundamental para adquirir nuevas habilidades y conocimientos. Tal vez tienen ideas sobre qué quieren aprender, y podría ser en un área totalmente diferente a la que están ahora. Permítales asistir a talleres prácticos, ya que no solo mejorarán sus competencias, sino que también los prepararán para roles de mayor responsabilidad.

  1. Rotación de Tareas

¿Será que Juan puede hacer más que uno solo rol en el rancho? ¡Imagínese si Juan pudiera trabajar tanto afuera como adentro! Dedique un día cada semana para rotar las posiciones. Esto es el principio del entrenamiento cruzado. No debemos esperar hasta que haya una ausencia para permitir que los trabajadores roten entre diferentes tareas. Así, los trabajadores pueden obtener una visión más completa del rancho y desarrollar una gama más amplia de habilidades.

  1. Participación en Decisiones

¿Cómo prefiere que le dirijan: recibir instrucciones sin comentarios o tener la oportunidad de dar su opinión sobre cómo realizar el trabajo? Involucrar a los trabajadores en la toma de decisiones marca la diferencia entre ser un ‘mandón’ y ser un ‘líder’. Quienes ejecutan las tareas suelen tener ideas valiosas para mejorar los procesos, ya que son quienes están en el centro de la acción. Solicitar su opinión les proporciona un sentido de pertenencia y responsabilidad.

  1. Reconocimiento y Recompensas

¿Tienen algún lugar de reconocimiento para honrar al empleado más destacado de una temporada específica? ¿Cómo están reconociendo a sus empleados? El reconocimiento, junto con una recompensa, va más allá de los incentivos económicos; los elogios públicos crean un ambiente donde se valora y se reconoce el esfuerzo individual, motivando a los trabajadores a mejorar continuamente hacia metas específicas.

  1. Mentoría

¿Quién es mi mentor y a quién estoy mentorando? Como dice el refrán: “El hierro con hierro se afila”. Para seguir avanzando profesionalmente, necesito tener un sucesor preparado, o de lo contrario, nunca podré seguir creciendo. La mentoría es un proceso profundamente satisfactorio que fomenta una relación de amistad profesional que puede ser valiosa durante muchos años, incluso más allá del ámbito laboral.

  1. Cursos de Idiomas

¿Son los supervisores en mi rancho los mejores líderes de personas o fueron elegidos simplemente por su capacidad para hablar diferentes idiomas? Las clases de inglés pueden abrir muchas puertas para el avance profesional. Aprender un nuevo idioma es un proceso largo. Busquemos pequeñas oportunidades para experimentar la cultura americana: Super Bowl Party, Thanksgiving Dinner, fuegos artificiales del 4 de Julio, etc., y así podemos fomentar un interés por aprender más.

Conclusión

¡La experiencia realmente vale su peso en oro! Utiliza estas ideas para dar un pequeño paso hacia el aumento de su experiencia y la de su equipo. Haz una lista de sus logros y los de su equipo, y verán cómo sus esfuerzos se multiplican.

(translated)

Experience is Worth It’s Weight in Gold

Not everything revolves around the almighty dollar! In agriculture, experience is priceless and often more valuable than money itself. By offering our team opportunities to gain experience, we boost their job satisfaction, reinforce their dedication to our farm, and thereby improve efficiency and productivity. Here are some areas where we can provide valuable experience to our team:

  1. Continuous Training

Have you inquired with your team about any specific technical skills they would like to develop on the farm? Practical training plays a crucial role in acquiring new skills and knowledge. It’s important to ask because their interests might lead to learning opportunities in entirely different areas than their current roles. Encourage them to participate in various workshops, as this will not only enhance their skills but also prepare them for greater responsibilities.

  1. Cross Training

Could Juan take on multiple roles on the farm? Imagine if Juan could work both outdoors and indoors! Allocate one day each week to rotate positions. This is the essence of cross-training. We shouldn’t wait for absences to allow workers to rotate between tasks. This approach helps workers gain a broader understanding of the ranch and cultivate a diverse set of skills.

  1. Participation in Decision Making

How do you prefer to receive instructions: being commanded without any input, or having the opportunity to share your thoughts on how to do a job? Engaging workers in decision-making distinguishes between being a ‘boss’ and being a ‘leader’. Those actively involved in tasks often offer valuable insights for process improvement, given their direct involvement. Seeking their input also fosters a sense of ownership and accountability.

  1. Recognition and Compensation

Do you have a designated area on the farm to honor the outstanding employee of each season? How do you show appreciation to your employees? Recognition, alongside compensation, transcends mere financial incentives; public acknowledgment fosters an environment where individual contributions are valued and celebrated, inspiring employees to strive for continuous improvement toward specific goals.

  1. Mentorship

Who is my mentor, and whom am I mentoring? As the saying goes, “Iron sharpens iron.” To continue advancing professionally, I must find a successor, or my own advancement will stagnate. Mentorship is a rewarding process that cultivates a professional friendship lasting many years, extending beyond the workplace.

  1. Language Courses

Are the supervisors on my farm effective leaders of people, or were they selected primarily for their bilingual skills? English classes can significantly enhance opportunities for professional growth. Learning a new language is a gradual process. Let’s seek out small opportunities to help our workforce learn about our American culture—such as Super Bowl parties, Thanksgiving dinners, Fourth of July fireworks, and more—to cultivate a deeper interest in learning.

Conclusion

Experience truly is golden! Use these ideas to take a small step toward enhancing your team’s expertise. Compile a list of your achievements and those of your team, and you’ll witness how your efforts yield multiplied results.

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By Mary Lewis, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution.
The La experiencia es oro post appeared in The Ag Workforce Journal.

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Spanish & English Training for Farm Supervisors, Trainers, and Managers

Growing Great People: Training Skills for Dairy Farmers

Become an Effective On-The-Job Trainer

These trainings are supported by a grant from the New York Farm Viability Institute.

The performance triad with training, feedback and expectationsCornell Ag Workforce Development and the South Central NY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops team are offering a series of hands-on regional training workshops from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at two locations on August 23 and 24.

“Growing Great People: Training Skills for Dairy Farmers” will take place from 1 pm to 4 pm on August 23 in Scipio Center and from 1 pm to 4 pm on August 24 in Homer. The same workshop will be offered both days, so choose the date and location that work best for you. We encourage farms to send multiple employees. Anyone who is involved in training other employees can benefit from the workshop!

Presenters Dr. Richard Stup from Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development and Dr. Kaitlyn Lutz from the CCE NWNY Team will deliver the training in English and Spanish. Participants will learn skills to plan and conduct effective trainings for dairy workers and immediately put them to practice during the workshop through hands-on activities. All attendees will receive a bilingual, illustrated handbook to take home.

Cost is $20 per person and includes lunch. Bring a standard operating procedure (SOP) from your farm. Register online at nwnyteam.cce.cornell.edu/events.php or call Donette Griffith at: 607-391-2662.

DATE AND LOCATIONS

1:00 to 4:00 PM | AUG 23, 2022
Sunnyside Dairy
2243 Indian Field Rd
Scipio Center, NY

1:00 to 4:00 PM | AUG 24, 2022
New Hope View Farm
5937 US Route 11
Homer, NY

Effective trainings contribute to success of employees and the farm business. With training employees learn how to best complete their task and why it is important to the farm’s success. When employees have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to do the job right, it saves time and avoids problems. With good training, staff feel important and involved, which keeps them engaged and reduces employee turnover.

The webinar trainings will overview the learning system of:

TELL: Describe the procedure and why it is important

SHOW: Demonstrate the procedure and emphasize key points

DO: Allow the learner to try and answer any questions

REVIEW: Are the steps in the procedure done correctly?

After the webinar trainings you will be able to:

  1. Plan for organized and effective trainings
  2. Train in a way that works for most people
  3. Measure and follow up to make sure learning happened

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Learn to Supervise Farm Employees! Registration deadline today!

Agricultural Supervisory Leadership is a series of online courses where farm managers learn to be more effective supervisors. The courses combines self-paced learning with plenty of interaction with peers and instructors. Course 3 on improving employee performance closes registrations today. All 6 courses in the program can be taken in any order. New, experienced, and aspiring farm managers should sign up for the course today!

Managing Performance online course registration closes Friday
Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development’s Managing Performance, six-week online course, is offered as part of the Agricultural Supervisory Leadership Certificate program. Live weekly Zoom discussions will be held from 3 to 4 PM EST each Tuesday from November 16 through December 21. Participation in the live sessions is highly encouraged and provides a valued opportunity for peer to peer learning and networking. Registration closes November 12 and cost is $275. Course topics will include:

  • Understand motivation
  • Harness the power of performance feedback and coaching
  • Build clear and effective workplace communications
  • Set safety expectations
  • Conduct effective performance improvements

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Can Farm Employers Require Employees to Wear Face Coverings/Masks?

The science about wearing face coverings/masks to reduce the spread of novel coronavirus is increasingly clear; wearing a mask dramatically reduces the amount and range of virus particles that Delaware County Hand Sanitizer & Face Covering Giveaway for Farms ...an infected person emits into the air to potentially infect other people. Wearing a mask to protect our family, co-workers, and community seems like a small individual sacrifice considering COVID-19 has already killed over 127,000 Americans. Farm employers need to know that both federal and state authorities recommend face coverings in the workplace in addition to social distancing (keeping at least 6 feet apart). At the federal level CDC Guidance for agriculture contains a whole section on wearing face coverings.  New York’s Interim Guidance for Prevention and Response of COVID-19 at Farms contains clear directives at the top of page 2 requiring face coverings.

EEOC Guidance

Farm employers, working closely with government and Extension, have put new procedures in place to provide face coverings at work and require their use. Unfortunately, there are some farm employees who, for whatever reason, refuse to wear face coverings. Employers have asked: “Can I require an employee to wear a face covering/mask at work?” Fortunately, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) answered this question, see quote below and full details here: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/pandemic-preparedness-workplace-and-americans-disabilities-act.

12. During a pandemic, may an employer require its employees to wear personal protective equipment (e.g., face masks, gloves, or gowns) designed to reduce the transmission of pandemic infection?

Yes. An employer may require employees to wear personal protective equipment during a pandemic. However, where an employee with a disability needs a related reasonable accommodation under the ADA (e.g., non-latex gloves, or gowns designed for individuals who use wheelchairs), the employer should provide these, absent undue hardship.

Note the second half of the answer mentions “reasonable accommodation” for an employee with a disability. Reasonable accommodation is a legal term under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that requires employees to make modifications or adjustments to a job to meet the needs of an employee with a disability, within reason. For example, an employee with asthma or other breathing issues might have a legitimate problem with wearing a mask, an employer’s reasonable accommodation for that employee might be to limit him or her to only job activities that can be completed outside in the open air and further than 6 feet from other employees. If the person’s job is a milker, which requires working indoors and closer than 6 feet to other people, then the employer might not be able to make a reasonable accommodation for the employee unless other work can be found.

Employer Best Practices

Farm employers need to make mask wearing a policy for every employee (your business safety plan might be a good place for this) and be clear about when it is required. For example, anytime two or more employees are together indoors or anytime employees are within 6 feet of each other outside. The policy should apply equally to all employees and be enforced consistently and without bias. Importantly, all farm owners and managers must diligently follow the face covering policy themselves in order to lead with the right example and to establish the right culture in the workplace. Similarly, employers should train employees about why the farm has a face covering policy and why it is important to protect the health of everyone. See these multilingual resources: CDC, New York, Cornell, and this farm-focused COVID-19 Video in Spanish (English subtitles)

If an employee still fails or refuses to wear face coverings appropriately, then the employer would have to use discipline. Discipline should start with a calm, verbal conversation between the employee and the supervisor: describe the employee’s behavior, describe the policy and expectation, discuss how the employee’s behavior does not meet expectations and needs to change going forward. Most problems will stop after the verbal conversation. Next steps might include written warnings and eventually, termination. If an employee simply refuses the employer’s direct instructions then that would be insubordination and could be grounds for immediate termination. As always, documentation of any employee disciplinary actions is a critical part of effective human resource management.

Common Sense

Let’s keep a little common sense in the equation whenever possible. Most of the coronavirus guidelines are written with office, retail, and manufacturing type work in mind…all mainly indoor activities where the exchange of fresh air is limited by the structure and ventilation systems. Farming certainly includes indoor activities (shop, office, milking parlor, inside the pickup truck, etc.), but it also includes times when employees are outside (fields, orchards, vineyards) or entirely alone (as in a tractor cab alone). Employees don’t need to wear a face covering when they are working entirely alone and don’t expect to encounter anyone else. Similarly, employees working in the fields and orchards (where the air volume and exchange is massive), and spread out from others well more than 6 feet, don’t need to wear face coverings either. It’s a good idea for everyone to carry a face covering on their person for those times when they come in close contact with someone else.

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By Richard Stup, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution.
The post Can Farm Employers Require Employees to Wear Face Coverings/Masks? appeared first in The Ag Workforce Journal 

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Supervising Farm Employees Workshops beginning next week!

Join us for a hands-on workshop to explore best practices in supervising farm employees. Participants will learn concepts in leadership and immediately apply them through hands-on practice and interaction. Experienced and new supervisors will benefit from the workshop as will those who are not yet supervisors but expect to have that responsibility soon. Specific topics will include:

  • Transitioning from high performer to supervisor
  • Management styles
  • Human motivation
  • Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
  • Communications
  • Managing performance

Dates and Locations:

  • March 2-3, 2020, CCE office Dutchess County, 2715 Route 44, Millbrook, NY 12545
  • March 16-17, 2020, CCE office Orleans County, 12690 State Route 31, Albion, NY 14411

Time:

  • 2 days: 10:00am to 4:00pm each day, Lunch included

Registration:

  • Please register by Feb 25 for the March 2 session, by March 10 for the March 16 session.

Cost:

  • $60 for the 2-day workshop
  • $50 for additional people from the same farm. (You will need to complete a separate registration for each person)

Register here!

Speakers:

Questions?

Cornell Agricultural Workforce LogoCornell Small Farms logo

Supervising Farm Employees Workshops coming in March

Join us for a hands-on workshop to explore best practices in supervising farm employees. Participants will learn concepts in leadership and immediately apply them through hands-on practice and interaction. Experienced and new supervisors will benefit from the workshop as will those who are not yet supervisors but expect to have that responsibility soon. Specific topics will include:

  • Transitioning from high performer to supervisor
  • Management styles
  • Human motivation
  • Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
  • Communications
  • Managing performance

Dates and Locations:

  • March 2-3, 2020, CCE office Dutchess County, 2715 Route 44, Millbrook, NY 12545
  • March 16-17, 2020, CCE office Orleans County, 12690 State Route 31, Albion, NY 14411

Time:

  • 2 days: 10:00am to 4:00pm each day, Lunch included

Registration:

  • Please register by Feb 25 for the March 2 session, by March 10 for the March 16 session.

Cost:

  • $60 for the 2-day workshop
  • $50 for additional people from the same farm. (You will need to complete a separate registration for each person)

Register here!

Speakers:

Questions?

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Optimizing Employee Performance: Part 2, Training

It’s important to make the most of every employee relationship and your leadership as a supervisor is critical. The three core leadership practices for supervisors are captured in the Performance Triad; these include: setting expectations, training, and performance feedback. We discussed setting expectations in an earlier post, now we turn to training.

Too often supervisors think about training the moment their new employee shows up. “Oh right, you need training, go follow that guy and do what he does.” That’s not the best approach. Effective training actually starts before a new employee even shows up for work.

Plan Your Training

Like most things in business, planning is the most important step in designing effective training. Start with the learning objectives: what will the learner know or be able to do after the training that they didn’t know or couldn’t do before? For example, suppose I’m training an employee to operate a tractor, specifically I’m training them on daily, pre-operating tractor safety and service. I’m using a standard operating procedure (SOP) much like you can find here under the heading “Check Tractor Before Operating.” My learning objectives might be something like this: “After training the learner will be able to…”

  1. Check tractor for visible safety hazards and maintenance needs.
  2. Check oil, fuel, and coolant levels and be able to add the correct fluids as needed.
  3. Understand the danger and consequences of operating a tractor without correct oil, coolant, or fuel.

See how that works, these objectives are all really important! The first two are about what and how to do some important tasks, the third objective gets at knowledge of the consequences if these tasks aren’t done right. Once you have clear learning objectives, it’s much easier to do the next step, plan learning activities. Let’s focus on the second objective, how will I help my new employee learn to check the oil, fuel, and coolant levels?

First gather and organize your training resources. You already have the SOP you developed for this procedure. Maybe you have an equipment manual with pictures that would also help. Or, you might find a video that explains how to check fluid levels. Once you’ve gathered resources think through each step that your employee will need to learn, notice in our learning objective 2 that they must not only check the fluids but also know what to do when they are low. That likely means a trip to the farm shop to get the right oil or coolant to add to the tractor. Or, it might mean finding the right person who can help with the important step of adding the correct fluids as needed.

Once you have your learning objectives clear, your training materials gathered, and you’ve thought through the learning process, you’re ready to put the plan together. Make a plan for the order in which you will conduct your training to help your employee learn, here’s an example plan:

Fluid Check Training Plan

  1. Share learning objectives and explain what we’re going to learn.
  2. Show employee directions found in tractor manual and video about oil checking.
  3. Have employee read the farm’s SOP about tractor safety and maintenance check at morning startup.
  4. Go to the equipment shed and show employee how to check the oil according to procedure.
  5. Have employee show me how to check the oil.
  6. Explain what to do when the oil is low, where to find the correct oil, and how much to add before checking again.Related image
  7. Have employee walk through what he or she should do if the oil is low.
  8. Evaluate learning and answer any questions from the employee.
  9. Repeat training steps as needed.
  10. Congratulate and encourage employee for completing this part of the training.

Conduct Training

Once you’ve completed the planning steps of clarifying learning objectives, gathering training resources, and making a learning plan, you’re ready to train. Keep in mind that every person is different and we all learn in different ways and at different paces, so plan to be flexible and patient as you train. Some people learn best by hearing, others by seeing, and some must learn by doing it themselves. The plan we developed above touches on all three of these learning styles.

Set aside time when you and your employee can focus on training without interruption, let others know that you are training and should not be interrupted except for an emergency. This helps set the stage that your employee’s learning process is important. Tell your employee that he or she should ask questions at any time and that no question is a bad one. Also encourage your employee to ask questions or for help anytime after the training, it’s most important to do the job right.

Conduct the training using the Tell-Show-Do-Review method. Tell your employee how to do the task. Show them how to do the task with your own hands. Let them do the task while you watch. Review how they did by praising what they did well and correcting the parts they didn’t do correctly, repeat as needed.

Finally, take a few minutes to evaluate the overall training process to make sure the employee learned what they need and that your training was effective.

Evaluate Learning

Evaluation isn’t just for extension educators, farm trainers need to know that employees learned because sometimes it is a life and death matter! Even a simply thing like checking the oil, while not life and death, can mean the difference between finding a problem and blowing up an expensive engine!

Keep evaluation for procedure training simple and to the point. Come up with a few demonstrations or questions that your employee can show or answer to verify to you that he or she learned the most important points. For example:

  • Show me where the oil level should be before you start the tractor in the morning.
  • What should you do if the oil level is too low?

If your employee can demonstrate the task and answer the questions correctly, great, praise for a job well done! If not, circle back to re-train what is need and reconsider your training plan to make improvements for next time.

Follow Up

Great supervisors are constantly engaging with and coaching their employees to get better at their jobs. Farms are busy places and new employees have to learn a lot very quickly. In this environment it’s easy for an employee to forget parts of their training or to slowly drift into some bad habits. Great supervisors know this, in fact, they expect it! The solution is to follow up with employees to reinforce the training and show that correct performance matters. Follow up with employees a few days after training and a few weeks after training. Watch employees performing their new tasks, correct any problems, and offer appropriate feedback. Performance feedback is the third leadership practice in the Performance Triad and we’ll pick that up with the next post in this series.

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By Richard Stup, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution.
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