The 2023 workshop series from the Farm Labor Dashboard project will help farmers build knowledge and skills they need to successfully recruit and manage the right employees for their farms. The workshops are geared to produce and diversified livestock producers who are new to managing employees, and to farmers who are considering changes to how they arrange for, and manage, labor on their farms. Women farmers’ learning needs and priorities are integrated throughout the series.
Sessions include:
- Growing Successful Work Teams – Identify your communication and management preferences and practical ways to use them to build a successful crew for the coming season. This two-session workshop will be offered three times in January 2023, with the same content covered in each section. Select the section that works best in schedule: Jan 7 & 14; Jan. 12 & 19; or Jan. 17 & 24. Cost: $35, advance registration is required.
- Coaching Farmers on Payroll Planning – Service Provider Session (January 10, noon-1 pm Eastern Time). Learn about simple tools and strategies service providers and educators can use to help farmers calculate the cost of hired workers and to help them develop a financial plan to ensure they will have the resources on hand to meet payroll needs. Free, advance registration required.
- Planning for Payroll – Farmer Session (January 11, Noon-1 pm Eastern Time) Hiring your first farm employee can be daunting. Join this session to learn how to use simple tools that will help you understand the complete cost of hired workers and develop a financial plan to help ensure you will have resources on hand to meet payroll needs. Free, advance registration required.
- Staffing Up: (Feb. 9, Noon-1:30 pm Eastern Time). Join this participatory session to share and co-learn effective strategies to hire and retain employees. Prior to the workshop you will receive advance materials – such as short video clips and/or short articles – that will set the stage for discussion and learning during the session. Following the session, there will be opportunities to for individual follow-up and feedback from session facilitators. Free, advance registration required.
- Practical Techniques to Optimize Employee Performance. (Feb. 23, Noon-1:30 pm ET) In this participatory session, we’ll explore effective communication practices that share expectations and provide feedback to employees all season long. Prior to the workshop you will receive advance materials – such as short video clips and/or short articles – that will set the stage for discussion and learning during the session. Following the session, there will be opportunities to for individual follow-up and feedback from session facilitators. Free, advance registration required.
- The Art of Negotiation: Negotiation basics, with a focus on labor management. (Mar 2 & 9, Noon-1 pm Eastern Time). Free, advance registration required.
All sessions will be held via Zoom. Connection information will be sent following registration.
Learn more at the Farm Labor Dashboard or email beth.holtzman@uvm.edu.
