Project Overview
This project brought labor management strategies and support to 51 Vermont dairy farms classified in three distinct groups; labor management workshop participants, crisis case farms who contacted the program amidst an emergency or special scenario seeking immediate assistance and general participants, farmers who regularly sought proactive labor management guidance and as a result adopted positive labor management changes.
Services provided included, general consultation and translation, pest management and housing consultation and on-site job training for Hispanic workers. One surprising finding was that of the total 54 farms served; approximately 36% experienced a bed bug or cockroach management challenge.
There is a wide range of labor management practices and needs challenging Vermont dairy farms. ALMa served farms ranging from little to no proactive labor strategies to those who routinely follow detailed farm protocols and operate smoothly. Language and cultural misunderstandings remain a real challenge for many farm managers. While crises were managed and many immediate problems were resolved we find it often takes many emergent issues before positive systemic changes are made on a farm. Delivering services in a proactive educational risk management approach rather than responding to crisis intervention field calls remains the best practice for positive farm labor management.
Number of Participants: 57
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
There are no promotional materials available for this project.
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
There are no educational materials available for this project.
REPORTS & EVALUATIONS
There are no reports or evaluations available for this project.