Richard Stup Senior Extension Associate Penn State Dairy Alliance People often say that human resource management is only for large farms. They claim that be cause the farm they operate doesn’t hire non-family workers, they don’t have to worry about managing human resources. Industry advisors such as vet erinarians, nutritionists, and ex tension agents sometimes claim that because their clients are mostly small farms, human re source management is not an issue for them. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, there are at least three reasons why human resource manage ment may be the most limiting factor on small farms. Reason one: compared to businesses with large workforces each individual worker is more critical to farms with a small workforce. Consider the differ ence in impact between one un motivated worker in a total workforce of fifteen compared to one unmotivated worker in a total workforce of three. The unmotivated worker in the small workforce will have a large impact on the attitude of his two fellow workers. If he doesn’t do his share, then the other two workers will need to work much harder to make up for him. In the larger workforce, the unmotivated worker is as signed a much smaller share of the total workload. If his work is poor or inadequate, there are 14 other people to pick up the slack. Also, the negative psycho logical impact of one poor worker in a group of fifteen is much less than in a small labor for «- . « - . . Because of the potential impact of a poor quality worker, recruitment and selection are critical. As the old laying goes, ‘Hire hard, manage easy.” In an all family situation, it is import ant that members feel involved and important for family rea sons as well as business reasons. Alice is a tall large leafed white clover developed for exceptional yields of palatable high quality forage. Alice clover has shown tremendous nitrogen fixing benefits for the grass (especially ryegrass) that grows with it. We’ve had many comments that the pastures with Alice stay green longer into the summer. Alice has greater stolen density than most ladino type clovers allowing for better persistence under grazing. Recent studies show an increased dry matter intake of 2 pounds per cow per day if clover is included in the pasture ORGANIC FARMERS!! BE SURETO HAVE PLENTY OF ALICE IN YOUR PASTURES TO MAKE NITROGEN. 6% Discount in Jan. ■ BARENBRUG Forages For Profit GREAT IN GRASS 8.G.34 Ryegrass Baralfa 54 & 32-IQ Alfalfa Red & Alice White Clover Chicory Bromes Timothy Reeds Canary Green Spirit Ryegrass Horsemaster Orchardgrass Kernel Festululolium Fescue Forage Soybeans Forage Oats Triticale Cereal Rye Call or Write for Our New Product Information Guide, Packed with Lots of Good Info. Human Resource Management For Small Farms Management responsibilities should be delegated so that each family member has opportuni ties to use their intellect to help the business rather than just their physical efforts. This will help junior family members de velop their potential. Reason two: small farms often neglect important management functions because routine chores seem more urgent. All farms must allocate limited human re sources to management func tions of the business in addition to routine chores. Farm employ ing large workforces have people whose specific role is management. Managers may not actually perform the chores, but they make sure that adequate re sources are available, and that the right chores are done in order to meet the goals of the dairy. They also monitor the GREENSBURG (Westmore land Co.) Pennsylvania young farmer members from across the commonwealth will gather in Greensburg to discuss social and economic elements which impact their future, as well as, their concern about agri culture as a way of life. Op Feb. 6-8, the young farm ers association (PYFA) will host their annual winter convention at the Four Points Sheraton in Greensburg. While here, mem bers will conduct business meet ings, attend educational workshops, recognize outstand ing members in their associa tion, tour local farms and areas IT’S ABOUT TIME To Frost Seed Alice White Clover - Also available from - Herb Weaver 717-529-2386 Edwin Martin Port Trevorton Glenn Beidler 570-539-8993 Leroy Brenneman 486 Davis Rd. Apt 1 Salisbury 15558 N. Sommerset Co Marvin Thomas 814-479-7570 Eastern Shore Mickey Slant 410-673-2414 E. Drumore Seeds Henry King 717-548-3376 Ephrata Carl Martin 717-733-7155 Lancaster Ag Products 717-293-9701 Little Britain Landis Weaver 717-529-2609 Centre Co John Glick 814-383-4529 Bio Farm Service 717-687-7420,800-216-1271 Dauphin Co Christ F. Fisher 717-362-9038 Kirkwood Snyder Co Snyder Co S. Sommerset Co. progress of the business, making sure that everything is staying on course. Workers on small farms must perform the chores and manage. This means they must be more diligent about setting aside time to manage. Sometimes small farms simply cannot pro vide management and labor to meet the needs of all aspects of the business. In those cases, small farms must find ways to secure human resources from outside the farm workforce. Outside human resources might take the form of addi tional management services from the breeding company, vet erinarian, feed supplier, accoun tant, etc. Or it might mean hiring management and labor in the form of custom crop ser vices, heifer raising, custom dry cow care, etc. Reason three: small farms are Pennsylvania Young Farmers 2001 Winter Educational Institute of interest, and share in fellow ship with other members of the agriculture community. The convention will kick off on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. with the first portion of the spokesperson for agriculture contest, a media blitz to be held at the Shop-N-Save Supermar ket at the Westmoreland Mall. Contestants will be judged on their interaction with consumers and members of the media while discussing agriculture issues and answering questions. The PYFA will also select one luck shopper and pay for the grocery items in their cart. Tuesday afternoon will be spent touring the Richard Stoner and Sons dairy farm, St. Vincent Archabbey Basilica, and a gristmill and mine recla mation area. In the afternoon the spok esperson contest will reconvene with the final portion of the KING’S AGRI SEED Formerly Aaron King Seeds Specializing in high quality forages and grazing since 1993 Fairview Fruit Farm, 96 Paradise Lane, Ronks, PA 17572 717-687-6224 Churchtown Galen Martin Berks Co Paul Keller Perry Co Glenn Martin Atglen Sylvan Smoker Cochranville Ag Service York Co. Hakes Farm & Seed Service.. Manhelm Lebanon Co. White Deer.. Centre Co. ,Lynn Fahnestock Abner Stoltzfus . Isaac Seller. Brian Futhey Preinnoculated Seed In Stock handicapped by a lack of time for leadership activities. In a business, leadership means step ping back to see the big picture, determining the business’s po tential advantages in the market, and charting a course to benefit from the potential ad vantages. Business leaders need to step away from the day-to-day activ ities of the farm. They need to learn about the market, the ac tivities of other leaders, and new technologies in the industry. Large farm owners and mana gers sometimes devote all of their time to business leadership activities. If small farms do not commit some of their human resources to business leadership failure is only a matter of time. Small farm managers need to honestly devote time to finding where their potential advantages lie. competition, a five-minute im promptu speech followed by a ten-minute question-and answer session. The entire con test will culminate in the evening when the winner is an nounced at the opening banquet. While the delegates of the convention conduct their annual business meeting on Wednesday morning, the women will be having their own program in cluding a basket weaving dem onstration, lunch at the Ligonier Country Inn, and visiting the Southern Allegheny’s Museum of Arts. After lunch, the men will par ticipate in educational work shops on stress management, Power 717-445-5782 610-589-2614 717-582-2730 610-593-2831 717-529-5653 717-244-2754 717-665-7655 717-949-2486 570-547-7118 814-349-4333 This means taking time away from the farm for recreation and learning. To make this possible, small farm managers should standardize and write down work procedures and keep equipment in good repair so that temporary or part-time help can be employed. Progressive small dairies rec ognize their need to manage vital human resources. They use effective recruiting practices to find and hire good workers. They develop communication and organizational skills so that family and non-family workers can join together as a team. They adapt their businesses to take advantage of outside human resources for labor and management. Progressive small dairies use their limited human resources to seize every market advantage they can find. farm safety, and will be able to obtain their pesticide license cer tification. The highlight of the conven tion will be held on Wednesday evening at the awards banquet. Individuals who have dedicated themselves to the betterment of their farm businesses, their fam ilies, their communities, the young farmer organization, and the ag industry as a whole (will be honored for their work in the agriculture industry). The convention will end on Thursday at the closing lunch eon, which will be held after a tour of the Auen farm feedlot in Saltsburg and the Wayne and Hope Frye dairy farm. jX Tt^ $lO Per Bag Rebate on Alfalfa* Sales Rep: Eugene Weaver Phone 687-4363 Fax 687-4303 Also Available: Blends for Intensive Grazing Mega Green Sudangrass Brown Mid-Rib Sorghum Hi Protein Corn Brasslcas *Baralfa 42-IQ not included in rebate s
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers