In October 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor published the final rule, “Temporary Agricultural Employment of H-2A Nonimmigrants in the United States.” According to DOL, the provisions are designed to improve protections for workers and enhance enforcement against fraud and abuse, while modernizing the H-2A application and temporary labor certification process. This Department of Labor website provides guidance, fact sheets, and other resources related to the rule.
Using the right tools can help farmers and farm employees reduce risks of injury, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, or muscle strain. Published by the CDC, this guide is designed to help select or purchase the best available ergonomically-designed, non-powered hand tool. The information and the hand tool checklist are based on peer-reviewed articles and expert input.
The collaborative effort of BFRN (Maine), Northeast SARE, and University of Maine Cooperative Extension have put together a tip sheet to make it easier to listen and communicate with the crew and farm staff.
The Agricultural Justice Project Toolkit collects guidance and resources to support building a business and workplace that’s fair and accountable to workers, small-scale farmers, and communities.
Arthritis and Gardening This guide provides information about arthritis and how it can impact activities and tasks associated with gardening. While the guide is oriented to gardeners, the information…
This 2021 report aims to help farmers create conditions that draw workers to their farm and encourage them to stay over the long term. Based on surveys and in-depth interviews with farmers primarily from the Upper Midwest, it is relevant to addressing common challenges among small and medium-sized vegetable producers in many parts of the US.
This website provides informational resources from the CDC regarding bird flu (H5N1) and human health. It is aimed at supporting educators and technical assistance providers who work with farming audiences. The website includes the weekly updates sent by the CDC to partners on Influenza A (H5N1), and other educational resources developed by the CDC.
This PDF guide created by the Migrant Clinicians Network includes 11 self-care approaches to help you pause, reflect, and recharge. Everyday stress can come from many directions including family responsibilities, work demands, community needs, and the pressure of showing up in spaces that don’t always reflect or understand our experiences.
On the Growing For Market podcast (Episode 9) and article explore the nuances of postpartum life on the farm and finding a balance between building your family and your business.
This set of resources provides ideas for stretching and strengthening exercises that can help everyone who works on the farm stay healthy and productive throughout the season.
This June 2024 Agriculture and Human Values article, uses survey responses from 729 U.S. farm families to understand how children and their childcare needs shape the farm enterprise. A high proportion of respondents made changes to adapt to the needs of children with the greatest impact on farm productivity, followed by impact on the structure of labor on- and off- the farm, and impact on the farm enterprise structure.
What’s the difference between an employee and an intern or volunteer under the law? What is an independent contractor? This publication by Erin Hannum and Rachel Armstrong of Farm Commons helps farmers learn what categories of workers they supervise and the legal implications of each.
(State-specific guides are available for Vermont and New Hampshire)
The Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship has put together a short guide to help mentors set a tone of clear and open communication. Making sure you and your team use all the tools at your disposal—including non-verbal communication and active listening—can make a huge difference.
A key role of management is setting the emotional tone for the workplace - something that's critical during times of uncertainty and anxiety. This blog post from UVM Extension's Mary Peabody provides four healthy communication practices that can establish trust and openness in the workplace, and to address anxiety, fear and uncertainty among employees.
It is critical to the smooth workings of a farm that the people who work there take the time to resolve conflicts in a respectful way. Work to resolve conflicts in ways that contribute to the health and harmony of the entire farm community with this 3-step guide.
A personnel policy manual insures that all employees are aware of the policies and expectations of your business. A manual enhances your professionalism, creates consistency in communications, and protects you from appearing arbitrary in your treatment of employees. Drafting this manual will provide you and your management team the opportunity to think through your policies in advance and create a pleasant, productive work environment.
Planning ahead is a key management strategy, especially when it comes to cash flow. A cash flow projection (or cash flow budget) uses your projected income and expenses to estimate the amount of money you expect to flow in and out of your business. Iowa State University and the Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program both offer free cash flow templates that are available for download.
This half-hour presentation examines solutions for recruiting, training, compensating, and retaining qualified farm workers.
Four business models are considered for alleviating recruitment and management burdens:
1) a producer-owned collaborative that shares workers
2) a worker-owned collaborative that leases workers
3) a nonprofit-owned temporary farm employment agency
4) a nonprofit collaborative internship compliance program
Use these three videos as a starting point for training employees on customer service. These videos address: basic phone etiquette; the challenges explaining farm rules to visitors; and how to interact with an unhappy customer in a way that does not escalate the situation.
This short video from the Farm Manager Series addresses how to identify and deal with workplace problems. University of New Hampshire's Pat McCabe provides practical advice on how to diagnose the problem and its causes, and then how to work with employees to resolve it.
