On October 12, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor published the final rule, “Temporary Agricultural Employment of H-2A Nonimmigrants in the United States”, effective on November 14, 2022. This final…
Published by the CDC, guide is designed to people select or purchase the best available ergonomically designed non-powered hand tool. The information and the hand tool checklist are based on peer…
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…
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 understand how they can create and strengthen conditions that draw workers to their farm and encourage them to stay over the long term. Written by Sarah Janes…
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.
On the Growing For Market podcast and article explore the nuances of postpartum life on the farm and finding a balance between building your family and your business. In the podcast, hear Katie Kulla…
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.
Classifying Your Workers, by Erin Hannum and Rachel Armstrong of Farm Commons. What’s the difference between an employee and an intern or volunteer under the law? What is an independent contractor?…
Are you speaking the same language?
The Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship has put together a short guide to help mentors "get off to a good start and setting a tone of clear and open…
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…
In developing your workforce plan, you want to make sure that you have adequate cash on hand to cover your payroll expenses. A cash flow projection (or cash flow budget) is an estimate of the amount…
This half-hour presentation provided an update on a Northeast SARE-funded project examining solutions for recruiting, training, compensating, and retaining qualified farm workers. Farmers continually…
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.
A video from the Farm Manager Video Series
This short video addresses how to identify and deal with workplace problems. University of New Hampshire's Pat McCabe provides practical advice on how to…
The H-2A "guestworker" visa is a program of the US government so farmers can hire workers from other countries to fill temporary/seasonal positions on farms when local workers aren't…
