A2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 7, 2002
Penn State Cooperative Extension
Capitol Region Dairy Team
LABOR MANAGEMENT
Philip E. Wagner
Extension Agent Dairy
Franklin Countv
Many dairy farm businesses
have labor needs beyond those
supplied by the owner/operator.
This labor may be provided by
family members, nonfamily em
ployees. or a combination of the
two.
Workers differ in their capabi
lities, work habits, attitudes, per
sonalia traits, ambitions, and
willingness to accept responsibil
ities. For these reasons, labor
management is a difficult and
often neglected job.
However, workers both fam
ily and nonfamily want and re
spect a good boss. He can make
their work easier, more produc
tive, and more rewarding. A good
boss creates a wholesome atti
tude, a desire to work, and a
pleasant but businesslike rela
tionship between himself and his
employees.
The purpose of this article is to
suggest ways of making hired
labor a more profitable invest
ment in your farm business.
• Hire capable, dependable
help. The dairy farm business re
quires people with skill, intelli
gence, dependability, and willing
ness to work. To get reliable help,
farmers must compete with other
employers in the community.
Usually, farmers pay lower cash
wages than industry, but make
up some of the difference by pro
viding housing, farm-produced
food, job security, and pleasant
working conditions.
Usually, hiring the lowest cost
help does not result in the lowest
labor cost per unit produced. It is
better to hire help in which you
have confidence, and through
good management make the
worker productive and profitable.
• Tell and show workers what
to do. Failure to properly instruct
an employee is a frequent cause
of misunderstanding and often
wastes time and materials.
Don’t assume that a worker
knows how to do a job be sure.
Time spent explaining job assign
ments means more work accom
plished, better quality work, and
greater satisfaction for both
worker and farm operator.
Recognize that each worker is
different. Some are more skilled
at certain jobs than others. Some
understand and follow instruc
tions better than others.
A good manager explains, and,
if necessary, shows workers how
jobs are to be done.
• Supervise the work. A good
manager helps the worker devel
op good work habits and meth
ods. He tells workers if the job is
not being done satisfactorily,
what is wrong with it, and how to
correct the mistake. He should
also praise workers for a job well
done. A pat on the back will im
prove the worker’s attitude and
performance. .
Philip E. Wagner
Supervision must start when
the work starts. Don’t waste time
by permitting a worker to contin
ue to do unacceptable work.
Careful supervision enables you
to develop a competent work
force.
• Schedule your farm work.
Make weekly and daily work
schedules. List the jobs to be
done. Tell workers about your
plans. If the schedule calls for
overtime work, let them know
ahead of time. If a worker must
have time off, it should be
worked into the schedule. Im
press workers with the impor
tance of getting critical jobs done
on time.
Make a list of “odd jobs.” It
will help keep workers produc
tive during periods when planned
work is delayed or between job
assignments.
Posting a work schedule and a
list of odd jobs is a good idea. If
forces you to plan ahead, and it
gives workers an idea of what is
expected of them.
• Have an understanding
about working conditions. Have a
clear understanding about work
ing hours, including starting
time, quitting time, time for
meals, amount of and rate of pay
for overtime, days off, and vaca
tion time.
Be sure the wage rate, the pay
day, and any withholdings from
the pay are understood at the
time the worker is hired. Have a
well-understood policy and en
force it, but make it flexible
enough to fit individual situa
tions.
• Set an example for your em
ployees. Workers tend to adapt
the habits of their boss. You can
expect your employees to have
good personal habits and work
habits if you set a good example.
Workers resent having all the
undesirable jobs to do. They may
get careless and lazy if left to
woik alone for long periods of
time. They need supervision, but
also they want some responsibil
ity and a word of praise for the
success of the farm business.
• Create a feeling of pride in
Md., Pa. Youth Receive Honorable
Mention At National D' ’ B I
LOUISVILLE, Ky. Youth
teams from Maryland and Penn
sylvania tied for fifth place over
all and gained honorable mention
in the 4-H Invitational Dairy
Bowl Competition conducted
here Nov. 8 and 9 during the
North American International
Livestock Exposition.
Virginia had the top team,
with teams from New York, Illi
nois, and Minnesota placing sec
ond through fourth.
Maryland quizzers were
Christopher England, Frederick
County; Amanda Greene, How
ard County; Joseph Stowe, Cecil
County; and Tracy Webb, Har
ford County. April Hall of the
University of Maryland Coopera
tive extension was their coach.
The Pennsylvania team consis
ted of Lebanon Countians Brad
Hoover, Daryl Maulfair, Jared
Zimmerman, and Hannah Bom
gardner.
Twenty-one teams from across
the nation participated in the
quiz bowl, which tested the
4-H'ers dairy knowledge in a for
mat similar to the game-show
“It’s Academic”.
National Dairy Shrine Seeks Applicants
COLUMBUS, Ohio Nation
al Dairy Shrine has simplified
and shortened its application for
the Progressive Dairy Producer
(PDA) Award, according to Dr.
Chris Woelfel, chairman of the
PDA committee.
This revised and shortened ap
plication was developed to in
crease contest participation.
The award was started three
years ago to recognize and re
ward outstanding young dairy
producers (21-45 years old) who
LOL Commends PMMB’s Pooling Regulation
CARLISLE (Cumberland Co.)
After four years of advocating
support for a more fairly distrib
uted Pennsylvania over-order
premium system, Land O’Lakes,
Inc., commends the Pennsylvania
Milk Marketing Board for issuing
a new pooling regulation. If ap
proved, the regulation released
Nov. 18 would pool 45 percent of
the over-order premium dollars
collected on all Class I milk pro
duced, processed and sold in the
state among all Pennsylvania
dairy producers.
“When the over-order premi
um was established in 1988, it
was intended to alleviate some of
the economic burden that pro
ducers face in times of low milk
prices, adverse weather condi
tions and poor market condi
tions,” said Dennis Schad, Land
O’Lakes director of Mid-Atlantic
the work. Good quality livestock
and well-kept buildings and
grounds give workers a sense of
pride and personal satisfaction.
Workers want modern ma
chinery that is in good working
order. Old, worn equipment
means harder work and longer
hours. Labor-saving equipment
enables the owner to increase
labor productivity and attract
competent help.
Pay adequate wages. Low
wages are frequently given as the
reason a worker changes jobs.
But behind many wage disputes
is dissatisfaction with other
<things.> • » •
supervise, reward.
3. Be firm, fair, and consistent
in dealing with all employees.
4. Praise a job well done.
5. Reprimand if work is not up
to standard. Make criticisms con
structively.
6. Set an example for your
• Be a good boss. In summary, workers, and apply the Golden
. • • < •hev&are some characteristics of*a - Aide in manaeinemeoßle.
Maryland dairy quiz bowl team members who tied for
fifth at the National 4-H Dairy Bowl competition are, from
left, Amanda Greene; Joseph Stowe; April Hail, coach;
Tracy Webb, and Christopher England.
have introduced and applied ef
fective management and business
practices to help achieve a more
profitable dairy business. An
anonymous selection committee
will pick three winners in the fol
lowing herd size categories: small
herd, ISO milking cows or less;
mid-size herds, 151-500 milking
cows; or large herd, 501 milking
cows or more.
The winner in each size catego
ry will receive an educational
travel award to use out of state in
marketing and regulatory affairs.
The board never intended the
premium to benefit only a small
group of producers, those ship
ping to Class I markets in Penn
sylvania.
Land O’Lakes and other or
ganizations representing dairy
producers in the state called for
the PMMB to issue a pooling reg
ulation so more farmers in the
state would benefit from the pre
mium dollars. The initial regula
tion was drafted in the spring of
2001. After 18 months of Land
O’Lakes members writing, calling
and visiting with PMMB board
members and state legislators in
support of pooling, the final regu
lation's release is a victory for the
farmer-owned cooperative.
“Land O’Lakes supports this
new pooling regulation, even
though it pools the premium at a
• Provide satisfactory housing.
When housing is furnished it
should enable the worker’s family
to live comfortably and with dig
nity. Frequent complaints by the
spouse and family of the employ
ee about unsatisfactory living
conditions destroy morale and
job satisfaction, causing the em
ployee to seek more desirable liv
ing and working conditions. It
should be understood at the time
of employment that the worker is
responsible for keeping the home
and grounds clean and respecta
ble.
the value of $2,000 ($1,500 at
time of the trip and $5OO when
the evaluation form is submitted
after the trip).
For additional information
and/or application, visit the Web
site, www.dairyshrine.org. It will
be necessary for you to use Acro
bat Reader to download an appli
cation. If this isn’t possible for
you, contact National Dairy
Shrine at (614) 878-5333 or e
mail shrine@cobaselect.
com. Deadline for applicants is
March 15.
lower percentage than we re
quested, because our members
need those pooled premium dol
lars now more than ever,” said
Schad, adding that Land O'Lakes
represents more than 2,000 dairy
producers in Pennsylvania.
“With the current drought situa
tion and low milk prices, this reg
ulation will enable the over-order
premium to do what it was origi
nally intended to do ease the
financial burden that all Pennsyl
vania producers face.”
The final regulation has been
sent to the state House and Sen
ate Ag Committees. The commit
tees will have 20 days in session
to approve the regulation. Then it
will be sent to the Independent
Regulatory Review Commission
and, finally, to the Attorney Gen
eral’s office for approval. Imple
mentation is expected sometime
between March and May 2003.
good boss. Check yourself
what kind of a boss are you?
1. Make the work rules clear
and positive. Be sure workers un
derstand them. Enforce the rules
fairly on all workers, family
members included.
2. Teach workers tell, show,