Resources

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.

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.

Farm women in Ohio, Vermont and Wisconsin used photographs and commentary to explain how caring for their children affects their quality of life, their livelihood and their childrens' safety.

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.

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.

Either as a worker or as a manager you need to be aware of physical hazards, know how to assess risks and learn how to plan to minimize dangers so that your farm will be a safe place for workers, visitors and volunteers.
You can focus on prevention using the Agricultural Justice Project's introduction to developing a health & safety program for your farm, which includes a list of topics to consider for a safety audit.

The Developing a Values-Based Vision for Your Farm workbook helps producers examine their skills, interests, beliefs, expectations, obstacles and strengths to set a holistic vision for their farming operations. The answers to these questions will guide the decisions and direct the choices you make in growing your business.

In this article in the Growing For Market magazine, Rebecca Kutzer-Rice of Moonshot Farm in NJ describes her experience developing a thriving migrant workforce in depth, including:
• How to connect with local refugee resettlement agencies
• An introduction to the H-2A migrant worker program
• Legal and transportation considerations
• Tips for overcoming language and cultural barriers
• How to create a welcoming farm environment that feels like home