Spring 2000

From 590 Main
Another season has begun!  Farmers’ Markets are opening all over the state, the black flies and mosquitos are hatching and, as usual,  the weather continues to be the main topic of conversation at every gathering.

Thanks to all of you who have given up an evening or an afternoon to participate in our planning forums.  We have heard some great ideas and look forward to trying to fit everything into a workable plan that will guide us for the next five years.

In anticipation of summer vacations we have two articles that might be of interest to you.  First, please take a minute to review the child safety tips.  Most farm accidents involving children take place in the summer and we want your family, your friends and your customers to all have a safe, enjoyable summer.

Since many of you will be hiring some additional help over the summer, we’ve also included an article on motivating employees, apprentices and interns.  Managing others is an extremely difficult task but it’s also very rewarding.

Reminder!  The sun can damage your skin even on cool or hazy days.  Keep that hat and sunscreen handy.

Hold the Date!! Fall Conference Alert
November 2, 2000 you’ll want to be at the Sheraton Conference Center in Burlington for the first Vermont Women in Agriculture conference.  This is a day to celebrate all that women do and all the contributions we have all made to Vermont’s agricultural traditions.  More details will appear in the Summer Newsletter but if you’d like to help with the planning, call the WAgN office at 802-656-3276.

E-Mail Anyone?
To help promote the vision and mission of WAgN beyond the Vermont borders, we have established an electronic discussion list for individuals throughout New England.  We hope this will be a useful way for women from all over the Northeast to connect and learn from each other.  All you need to subscribe is access to E-mail.
To subscribe send an E-mail to: listserv@list.uvm.edu
Leave the subject line blank and in the body of the message put the subscribe command as follows:
sub wagn-ne Your Name (just type your actual name here in place of Your Name)
You should receive a message from the system fairly quickly letting you know that you have been subscribed. [One hint, if you have a signature on your E-mail, turn it off for this message--it might confuse the server and result in an error message.] If you have any problems, give Mary a call at 802-656-3276 or at 223-2389.

WAgN-NE at NOFA This Summer
WAgN-New England will be an exhibitor at the Summer NOFA Conference this August. This first time exhibit will feature activities from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.  If you are able to attend the conference, please look for us!

Child Safety Takes Planning
(reprinted from the Summer 1996 WAgN Newsletter)
Because most children want to mature more quickly than their bodies and minds do, and take part in farm work as soon as possible, there is a need for a new kind of parental supervision. Tasks permitted must be matched to a child's age, and patient training in proper methods of performing these jobs is vital. When safety rules are broken, parents must take the time to explain and enforce them.  Richard Clark, of Ohio State University, says the physical and mental development of children follows a reasonable predictable pattern, but each child develops at their own rate. Clark outlines some basic child-development characteristics to assist you when deciding which tasks are appropriate for your child.

Preschoolers

  • Tasks must not require balance, rapid motion or machines.
  • Tasks should take less than 10 minutes to complete and should not require accuracy.
  • Instructions must be demonstrated and repeated each time.
  • Appropriate jobs might include "helping" with household cleanup, watering plants, feeding small animals.
  • Maximum adult supervision is essential at all times, due to the child's poor coordination, high energy, impulsiveness and lack of fear.

Ages 6 - 11

  • Tasks should be of short duration and not require good eye-hand coordination.
  • Supervision is still necessary. Instructions should be demonstrated.
  • Tasks should not require accuracy, high quality or completion.
  • Hand tools are appropriate--power tools are not!
  • At this stage, children enjoy sorting materials. Jobs might include feeding the animals (under supervision), cleaning/prepping vegetables, yard and garden work such as weeding, watering, and picking, lawn mowing with a push mower on a flat surface (after age 10, and under supervision), hand-raking and digging.

Ages 12 - 14

  • Don't mistake size for ability!
  • Potentially, this is the most dangerous age, due to high risk-taking, ease of distraction, clumsiness, and feelings of immortality.
  • Limited power tool operation (under supervision) but hand tools are still best.  
  • Begin to incorporate tasks with higher physical requirements.
  • Starting with low-risk tasks, begin giving more responsibility for follow-through with less supervision.

Ages 15 - 18

  • Can start to take on adult jobs.
  • Still needs to gain experience under adult supervision (especially with equipment operation and maintenance).
  • Gradually increase tasks as experience is gained.
  • Don't delegate "old" equipment to your teen and "new" machinery to adults. Older equipment may have fewer safety features.
  • Enroll your teen in a tractor driving safety course.
  • Every adult on the farm must model good safety practices.
  • Teens are occasionally careless and forgetful. They may try to do too much and sometimes deliberately disobey. Safety is the responsibility of the adult supervisor.

Child Safety Checklist

  1. No riders!!! No exceptions!!!
  2. Before moving equipment, make sure children are safely away from the area.
  3. Don't allow playing on or near idle machinery.
  4. Leave hydraulic equipment in the down position.
  5. When equipment is parked, brakes should be locked and keys removed.
  6. Always leave a tractor PTO lever in the "neutral" position.
  7. Keep machinery in good repair. Pay attention to protective shielding, ROPS and seat belts.
  8. Safety training must be completed before operating machinery/equipment.
  9. Farm ponds and manure pits should be fenced.
  10. Keep fixed ladders out of reach, or fit them with a special barrier. Store portable ladders away from danger areas.
  11. Livestock facilities and operating machinery should be "off limits" to young children.
  12. Place warning decals on all grain bins, silos, wagons and trucks.
  13. Store pesticides and other dangerous chemicals in locked facilities.
  14. Make safety a family meeting topic.

When Motivating Employees is Your Job
Motivating employees is one of the biggest challenges for business owners.  Fortunately it also comes with tremendous rewards.  Motivated employees stay on longer, work harder, have fewer accidents and sick days and are a great recruiter for other employees.  Although each of us is motivated by different things, most of us will agree that important aspects of any job are mutual respect and meaningful work.  Here are a few tips that you can use to build a powerful work team.

  1. Start with a clear job description.  Make sure every employee know what is expected and how they will be evaluated.
  2. Involve employees in decision-making.  Allowing employees a say in how something is going to be done, or when, or in what way makes them feel like part of a team.
  3. Keep employees informed.  Any changes in policies, procedures or rules should be reviewed with everyone prior to  implementation.
  4. Adopt a caring attitude.  If you want your employees to behave like a team, then you need to behave like a coach. Find time to listen, counsel, and give feedback.
  5. Make time to listen.  Spend some time talking, and listening, to employees on a regular basis.  Make people understand that all opinions are welcome.  Invite suggestions.
  6. Show respect. Treat employees with the same respect you have for your customers.  Be thoughtful, considerate and polite in your communications.
  7. Make criticism constructive.  Provide feedback and correction in a way that focuses on the action not on the person.
  8. Recognize excellence.  Give appropriate praise and celebrate accomplishments.




WAgN
Women's Agricultural Network
590 Main St., UVM
Burlington, VT  05405
(802) 656-3276
or wagn@zoo.uvm.edu

 University of Vermont Extension and U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating, offer education and employment to everyone without regard to race, color, notional orgin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status.