Resources

  • Produce Safety: Worker Training Guides

    Training Guides covering Pre-Harvest, Harvest, and Post-Harvest food safety topics were developed by the North Central Region FSMA Center (Available in PDF and PowerPoint)

  • Hot Potato Resource Library: Heat Safety Where You Work

    A cartoon image of a potato taking a water break by a tailgate.
    For farmers laboring in hot conditions, keeping yourselves and others safe is both a priority and a growing challenge. In this companion resource library to the video Hot Potato: Heat Safety Where You Work, farmers and ag service providers from across the country share their tips, practices (SOPs), and policies related to extreme heat.

  • Fast Feedback Loop to Improve Performance (video)

    Feedback loop flow chart diagram
    This 3-minute video shares a quick activity that can help build more productive and stronger farm work teams. The exercise can help improve how employees work together, their level of compassion for each other, and how you can be a better supervisor.

  • Red Cards / Tarjetas Rojas

    I have rights
    This is a small card people can carry in wallet or pocket to assert their constitutional rights if ICE comes to their home. Available in 56 languages. Free from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.

  • Conflict Resolution Guidelines: A Quick Guide

    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.

  • Tax Reporting: Employment of Family Members

    This webinar provides guidance on a number of topics related to employing family members on farm operations, including employment of children by their parents, spouses working for each other, business structures involving family members, reporting/withholding requirements, and deductibility of wages paid to family members. PowerPoint slides are also provided.

  • Tracking Labor on a Diversified Vegetable Farm

    The biggest expense on just about any diversified produce farm is labor. It is also the hardest to track. This video presentation by John Hendrickson of University of Wisconsin's Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems provides practical approaches to the labor component of the cost of production records for various crops. Links to additional resources are included.

  • Training Employees Who Operate Agricultural Tractors

    This 2020 Iowa State University publication outlines nine practices agricultural employers should cover during training with employees who operate tractors. These practices help prevent tractor overturns and the resulting injuries and fatalities. 

  • Training Your Employees (Farm Manager Video Series)

    Training your crews to do their jobs effectively from the start is a key way to avoid problems later. This short video from the Farm Manager Video Series shares practical strategies for training farm employees so that they contribute to the success of the farm.

  • UMASH Safety & Health Resources in Spanish

    Image of three Spanish language guides on farm safety/Imagen de tres guías en español sobre seguridad en las granjas
    The Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center resource database contains a variety of health and safety materials, including a several Spanish language guides. You can search for materials by keyword, category, and tags/topics and language.

  • UMASH Safety Check

    The UMASH Safety Check is designed to help farmers identify and fix potential hazards before they cause harm to people working on your farms. It includes checklists, tips, and resources to help remedy problems.

  • Vermont Language Justice Project

    The Vermont Language Justice Project provides multilingual videos on health, safety, and community topics that may be helpful to people who work on farms and ranches.

  • Vermont Tick Information Center

    A line drawing of a tick
    This website, hosted by the University of Vermont's Integrated Tick Management Program, provides information for farmers on how to protect people, livestock and pets ticks and tick-borne diseases.

  • Wearable Technology for Health and Safety in Agricultural Work

    Examples of wearable temperature monitors
    View this recording to learn about strategies for identifying, evaluating and using wearable technology that can make you and your employees healthier and safer while working in agriculture. The session also included ideas for how you might integrate these devices in to your management framework with a goal of increasing wellness and decreasing injuries and illnesses. Some examples of wearable technology in farming include using heat and humidity monitors to prevent heat illness, and heart rate monitors to help fit tasks to the individuals and prevent over-exertion.

  • Why create an employee handbook for your farm?

    This January 2024 online workshop featured a panel of experienced Vermont farmers who described how and why their employee handbooks have helped finding and retaining employees, establishing and maintaining team morale and overall farm efficiency.

  • Workers' Compensation & Farm Businesses

    Workers Compensation & Farm Businesses by Rachel Armstrong
    This document is an FAQ-style bulletin that helps farm business managers estimate the cost of workers' compensation for financial and business planning. It covers requirements, cost factors, and steps to obtain workers' compensation coverage. It was written by Rachel Armstrong of Farm Commons and last updated July 2024.