Human Resources

The Best Leaders Share These Three Behaviors

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:50:24 GMT

Leadership might sound like a big, formal word, but on the farm it’s really just about how you work with people every day. It’s how you talk to your team, how you handle mistakes and how you treat people when things get stressful.

When you’re just starting out, being a leader doesn’t mean you need all the answers or that you have to run everything perfectly. It’s okay to learn as you go. According to Marcel Schwantes, author of “ Humane Leadership: Lead with Radical Love, Be a Kick-ass Boss ,” when you’re just starting out, being a leader doesn’t mean you need all the answers or that you have to run everything perfectly. It’s okay to learn as you go.

He suggests regardless of the operation or title, strong leaders consistently rely on a small set of practical skills that can be learned, practiced and improved over time.

These skills include:

Show Real Interest in Your People

Take time to get to know the people who work for you, not just the job they were hired to do. Ask what they enjoy, where they want to improve and what they hope to learn next. That might mean running new equipment, taking on more responsibility or growing into a leadership role themselves.

“The best leaders genuinely want their people to thrive,” Schwantes says. “They’re willing to put the team’s needs first, share credit freely and take responsibility when things go sideways.”

He recommends supporting raises and added responsibility when they are earned and looking for chances to stretch people’s skills instead of keeping them in the same position. When employees feel genuinely valued, they take more pride in their work and show up differently every day.

Have Empathy

Many farm leaders were raised to believe emotions stay out of the workplace. Unfortunately in agriculture, empathy is often misunderstood as being too soft or letting things slide. But Schwantes notes empathy is actually one of the strongest leadership characteristics a person can have, because it helps leaders understand problems sooner and lead more effectively.

“Empathic leaders don’t just hear what people say; they understand the context, emotions and challenges behind it,” he says. “That perspective creates psychological safety, and safety unlocks creativity, problem-solving and collaboration.”

On a farm, this might look like noticing when a team member is struggling, checking in when someone seems overwhelmed or understanding the pressures your employees face at home. It’s about listening, recognizing stress and creating an environment where people feel safe asking for help.

Be Clear and Transparent

On a farm, clear communication makes everything run smoother. When your team knows what’s expected and why decisions are being made, they can work more confidently and avoid mistakes.

“A transparent culture builds trust and fosters collaboration,” Schwantes says. “When people feel safe voicing their thoughts, it deepens engagement and creates a more resilient, trustworthy team dynamic.”

Transparency also means being honest about challenges and inviting input. If something’s not working, your team should feel comfortable speaking up. The more open you are, the more trust you build — and the better your crew can handle the ups and downs.

Lead by Serving Your Team

A leadership role can feel overwhelming in some workplaces, but on the farm it doesn’t have to be complicated. Schwantes says it comes down to a few core skills — showing real interest in your people, practicing empathy and being clear and transparent.

Strong farms are built on strong teams, and strong teams are built by leaders who serve first. A leader who’s willing to jump in, listen and set a positive tone creates an environment where everyone can do their best work. And over time, that kind of leadership builds trust and creates a crew that’s ready to take on whatever comes their way.

7 Health Insurance Solutions for the Self-Employed

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 14:50:40 GMT

If there is anything that could derail your business literally overnight, it’s a serious injury or illness in your family.

That’s why health insurance is an absolutely critical risk management tool, even though the cost of the insurance itself can also strain your business. While it probably won’t cover every medical expense for your family, it can protect you from the catastrophic effects of a major health event.

The majority of farm families agree with that sentiment, according to a 2017 study by HIREDnAG. The survey of nearly 1,000 farm families in 10 rural states found more than 75% of the respondents viewed health insurance as an essential risk management tool.

At the same time, however, many farm families still roll the dice by going without health insurance. The most recent USDA data on the subject shows more than 10% of U.S. farm households do not have health insurance, which is slightly higher than the general public. But even more telling is the type of farms that forgo it the most: dairy farms. They made up more than 40% of all farm households without health insurance, which is more than double any other type of farming enterprise.

Options to Cover Your Family

For those who are insured, many farm families rely on off-farm employment to secure health insurance — about 56% according to the USDA data. But what options are available for the rest of the families or individuals who wish to purchase their own coverage? Penn State University Extension’s Maureen Ittig, family well-being educator, and Ginger Fenton, dairy educator, recently presented a webinar where they shared the following suggestions:

Health Insurance Marketplace. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 created the federal Health Insurance Marketplace. Americans who do not have access to employer-sponsored health insurance can secure coverage through the marketplace, which provides credits for factors like income and family size. A handy calculator to estimate credits and plan costs can be found here . All ACA-compliant plans must cover 10 categories of services that includes things like prescriptions, pediatric care and emergency room services. Open enrollment for ACA plans is usually in the fall, but special circumstances can allow for enrollment throughout the year.
Medicaid/CHIP plans. Lower-income families may qualify for Medicaid and/or Children’s Health Insurance Program plans. These plans vary by state. They typically are less costly to families and may provide additional services, like dental and vision coverage, compared to ACA plans.
Association-based plans. Farm organizations and cooperatives may offer group plans to farmer-members. These organizations also offer guidance to help farm families understand the “language” of health insurance and aid in decision making.
HSAs. Using a Health Savings Account (HSA) is a popular way for farmers to maximize their health insurance dollars. HSAs are actual bank accounts that families fund annually and can be used to cover qualified health expenses. Any dollars not used can remain in the account for expenses incurred later on and even invested into higher-yielding financial funds. To access an HSA, the insured must have a High Deductible Health Plan, which can be accessed via insurance brokers, association-based plans, or the Health Insurance Marketplace. HSAs offer the “triple-treat” tax advantages of pre-tax contributions, tax-free growth and no tax on qualified withdrawals.
Skinny and gap plans. Some states allow for skinny plans that have lower premiums, largely because they are not required to offer the ACA-required 10 categories of services, like allowing entry with pre-existing conditions or maternity coverage. They also may have lifetime payout limits. Gap plans offer short-term, emergency coverage in some states. After 180 days, the insured must enroll for new coverage. They also may have exclusions and lifetime limits.
Armed forces health insurance. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, about 9% of U.S farmers are veterans. They and their families are usually eligible for TRICARE or Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health insurance programs.
Healthcare sharing ministries. Several faith-based group health coverage ministries are available that share healthcare costs among their members. This is not health insurance, but many users find they are able to negotiate rates with providers similar to discounts offered to insurance companies. Enrollment may require specific belief systems and lifestyle choices (no tobacco or illegal drug use, for example). Users pay monthly fees similar to health insurance premiums. When they incur an expense, they pay their bills up front and then submit them for reimbursement.

The Penn State experts advised looking not only at costs, but also at the services your family might need, such as maternity and mental health coverage.

“The array of options available hopefully will allow you to pick an option that works best for you, your budget and your values,” Fenton notes.

Your Next Read:
A Promising Horizon for U.S. Dairy

Don’t Ignore the Nudge: Why Listening Matters More Than You Think

Thu, 15 May 2025 14:43:08 GMT

Have you ever found yourself unsure of how to take a step forward? I clearly remember a day last summer when I was out of time. The procrastination needed to stop. I had an hour-long talk to prepare for and my mind was blank.

Of course, I realized this was not a good situation to be in. Sure, I had my topic and key points, but in my mind, it needed a dash of heart.

Then, my phone buzzed.

At first, I ignored it. I didn’t have time to get sidetracked. But I eventually checked it. It was Maddie, a young woman and friend who shared her vulnerable and powerful story with me a few years ago about her attempts at suicide.

Start the Conversation
She texted, “I know you’ve been so busy lately and I didn’t want to bother you. But I’ve been thinking about this all day and felt urged to share this story with you.”

Maddie had been speaking on her mental health journey in front of a group of farmers in Ohio. She didn’t know anyone at the event and admittedly, was a little nervous to share her story. When she arrived, a middle-aged man in work boots and overalls came right over to her and asked if he could help carry her things.

She politely said, “Sure, I’d love that.”

They got to talking as they carried in her tubs of stuff. Eventually they got to the reason she was in Ohio to speak.

This 250-lb. farmer then teared up and said, “I know why you are here. Ma’am, I just thought you should know that you’re the reason I’m here.”

Although the details of his story are not what matters here, he was contemplating suicide when he scrolled upon Maddie’s story on Facebook .

“For whatever reason, I saw your parents’ side of the story first,” he told her. “I decided that I didn’t want my wife and children to find me like that. I didn’t want to leave them like that.”

I messaged back to my friend and said, “Wow. I don’t know what else to say.”

She simply responded that she didn’t know what to say in that moment either. So, she hugged him hard and that was it.

“It was exceptionally hard to compose myself the rest of the day,” Maddie texted back. “Thank you, Jennifer. You took a chance on me and whether you know it or not, you saved a life, too. I was just a small part in it.”

‘Fine’ Doesn’t Cut It
Can I be honest that I felt completely uncomfortable when she said this? (And even more so sharing this with you.) But in that moment, I was reminded that the very best thing we can do in this world is listen to others. We think we need to say something back or have the right words, but we don’t.

People just want to be heard. They want to be known. They may not say it out loud, but as humans, one of our greatest needs is to be understood by someone.

We all have stories that need to be shared, and we need people to step in and listen to them. Listening is one of the most powerful healing tools.

Almost a year ago, I wrote about my friend Mary and how she takes the time to truly see people . She’s a busy lady and balances several jobs and volunteer opportunities. But she is never too busy to genuinely look you in the eye and ask you how you are doing. Mary doesn’t ask in a way that gives you any option except to say how you are really doing. ‘Fine’ doesn’t cut it with her.

I hope you don’t let ‘fine’ cut it in your life, either. Pay attention to the people you run into every day and the people you love who you don’t get to see very often. I’m thankful Maddie didn’t ignore the nudge to text me that day. She gave me just the dash of heart I needed.

Your Next Read: By Her Own Hand: A Farm Girl’s Miraculous Journey from Death to Hope

May is Mental Health Awareness Month . Millions of Americans live with mental health conditions. Whether by sharing your story, spreading awareness, or advocating for change, every action helps break the stigma and build a more supportive world for all.

Prevent Quitting: Keep Employees Top of Mind in 2024

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:57:14 GMT

As the calendar page flips to a new year, farmers are focusing on ways they can improve their operation in 2024. For many, labor – or lack thereof - sorted its way to the top of the ‘biggest headaches’ list. To help prevent this issue from reoccurring, Jorge Delgado, a training and talent development specialist at Alltech, says now is the perfect time to give your employee management plan a brief overhaul.

Before your best employee walks out the door, consider implementing the following steps to give retention and performance a needed boost.

Conduct Annual Reviews: “This is a concept many have of heard of but few people are using,” Delgado shares. However, he recommends treating annual reviews as a chance to sit down with each individual in your team to review expectations, goals, what needs to be improved and what needs to change.

“This is a good opportunity to hear feedback from your employees and share with them your appreciation in a very formal way,” he adds.

Go Over Mission Statement: Another important aspect to look over going into the new year is your farm’s mission statement. Delgado says if your operation doesn’t currently have a mission statement, this is the time to start creating one with your employees in mind.

“Let them be part of this process and include them in your mission statement,” he says.

Review and Update Protocols: Similar to looking over your farm’s mission statement, reviewing protocols is another important area to analyze.

“This is an area that often gets lost in time,” Delgado says. “People start deferring from original protocols and make decisions that may not be the best for your operation and/or animals. Get together with employees and/or your veterinarian to update information and procedures.”

Perform an Anonymous Survey: “An anonymous survey can help you find information to improve your internal culture and to discover areas of improvement,” Delgado says. “You will be surprised with the information generated from this kind of survey.”

Delgado suggests creating a questionnaire with simple questions that can help you finding opportunities about your organization.

Adjust Payroll: When was the last time you reviewed your employees’ salaries? According to Delgado, many workers might be due for a raise that was forgotten during the year.

“This is also a good time to adjust those numbers based on inflation and other costs,” he adds.

Terminate Bad Apples: While labor shortages continue to be one of the biggest issues facing agriculture, not every employee is cut out to work on our operations. Delgado agrees, adding, “There are some employees who just don’t fit in our culture or business mode. The new year can be a good time to start thinking about how to replace those individuals in our business.”

Calculate Annual Turnover Rate: Chances are you may have had a few employees leave your farm in 2023. Was this number higher than previous years? Lower? According to Delgado, it’s important to keep a pulse on your farm’s turnover rate.

“Find areas to improve on if this number is too high for your operation,” he adds.

Start Planning an Educational Calendar: As the chapter closes on 2023, Delgado says now is a good time to ask your employees what they would like to learn in 2024 and set up dates in your new calendar.

“Consider also reaching out to external resources to get them on your calendar” Delgado “They can offer free, professional training.”

Plan Social and Cultural Events for the Coming Year: Farming is a stressful occupation for both farm owners and employees. Therefore, it’s important to keep fun activities on the calendar to increase morale and engagement. Consider hosting a team dinner or

“Employees value the social aspect of any organization,” Delgado says. “This also helps with retention and motivation.”

Review Safety Guidelines: No matter the time of year, keeping employees safe should always be top of mind. Going into 2024, set intentions to review and update safety guidelines to ensure every position in your operation has a plan.

“If you don’t have a safety plan, you need one,” Delgado shares. “Review what went well and what went wrong this year. Use this information to increase safety around the farm.”

For more on labor, read:

Become a More Anticipatory Leader

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 02:21:55 GMT

Dave Mitchell uses his two-decade career in corporate HR to coach businesses on improving company cultures and reaching peak performance. And he says he’s not afraid to slay some dragons when it comes to tools many businesses may rely on, but don’t provide the service leaders are seeking.

“There are some things that we’ve adopted over the years that really aren’t particularly useful and I think in some cases even detrimental to our performance,” he says.

For example, he encourages leaders to stop using employee surveys.

“It’s just a waste of money. It’s offensive, and it does more harm than good,” Mitchell says. “Employee surveys don’t fix the problem. To be a great leader and reach peak performance, you have to get feedback in a more genuine and immediate way.”

He says today, leaders need to become more anticipatory managers—and identify and address problems much quicker.

“Leaders need to be plugged into what’s happening on a daily basis,” he says. “The people that have authority need to be better aware of what’s really happening and the people that know what’s happening have to have a conduit to educate those people that have the ability to make change.”

Mitchell has noticed a large trend of too much distance between managers and the work being done. This has created a dangerous gap for problems to linger, grow larger and cause major issues.

“As such, leaders must build in systems in their culture that reconciles that distance,” he says. “The fact that leaders don’t know what’s going on, doesn’t mean they don’t have plenty to do, so they often wait until they hear something.”

Mitchell uses “people preventative maintenance” a method to identify problems while they are still small—before they are exacerbated.

“We have a tendency just to wait until something becomes so obnoxious to the employee that they’re willing to storm into someone’s office and complain about it, and by that time, this is probably beyond the tipping point,” he says.

He says more and more organizations are using this method and building in the mechanisms to make problems known earlier.

Hear more in The Scoop Podcast:

More and More Dairy Workers Speak Another Language: K’iche’

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 20:48:42 GMT

The language barrier is often a challenge for dairies, as the owner and employees don’t always speak the same language. Now that barrier is extended from employee to employee as K’iche’ (pronounced k’I ‘chay) is becoming more well-known on U.S. dairy farms.

K’iche’ is the most predominant of 23 Mayan dialects originating in the Central American countryside. It is a very common language used in Guatemala, as well as in El Salvador and Honduras, too.

Dr. Robert Hagevoort, extension dairy specialist and associate professor at New Mexico State University, says the reality of today’s dairy farms are:

Larger dairies with more cows.
Larger dairies employ more people and more hired employees.
Employees are usually from different cultural/linguistic backgrounds.

According to Hagevoort, producers often say labor is their No. 1 challenge. Several hurdles arise when it comes to training employees, including low literacy rates from a non-English speaking workforce.

What Hagevoort and his colleagues have found is that a large majority of employees no longer come from an agricultural background. Also, many have little to no experience working with large animals or equipment.

“60% of employees are at a 5th-grade education level or below,” Hagevoort says, sharing that K’iche’ is a different language from Spanish. He also shares that they have a different body stature build.

“This can pose challenges when milking cows and performing other tasks, as the K’iche’s stature is often shorter and smaller,” he says. “Approximately a third of the workforce in this part of the country [the southwest] speak K’iche’ as their main language.”

Hagevoort says this all poses the question of how well employees can communicate with each other. He also asks the following questions:

How well can your employees read and write (English, Spanish, K’iche’)
Who does the translating and in what language are they able to translate?
What languages are training materials adjusted to?
What do you know about the different cultures in the workplace?

Pushing forward to help producers tackle these challenges, Hagevoort set out to customize dairy training materials and modules in the indigenous language, which turned out to be no simple task to include K’iche’. Hagevoort worked with a Guatemalan teacher to translate the Spanish training transcripts and assign words to the “cow lingo.” A voice-over was then recorded over the dairy training videos.

If K’iche’ is not spoken on your dairy, it is just a matter of time before it will, according to Hagevoort. The New Mexico dairy extension specialist highly recommends both dairy owners and managers arm themselves with the proper resources to ensure the highest level of worker performance and safety.

For more information, go to Extension Dairy Home (nmsu.edu)

The Number One Secret to Motivate and Empower People

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 21:45:14 GMT

I sat down recently with Juan Quezada on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast to learn about his story of working his way up through the Wisconsin-based Milk Source dairy enterprise, starting as a milker more than 25 years ago, and today overseeing and influencing 650 employees as director of training and development.

So what does an incredible leader, filled with so much knowledge and wisdom, who has had his hand in the tremendous growth and advancement of an organization like Milk Source for a quarter century, teach employees through the company’s leadership classes?

He emphasizes this seemingly simple, yet so very powerful habit: Listening.

“I ask employees: What is the secret of the best salesman in the world?,” Quezada says. “And it is to listen.”

Assumptions are missed opportunities

The power of listening is a leadership principle that Quezada instills among his team. He explains, when we work with the same people every day, and even become accustomed to the same topics of conversation, it can be easy to assume what is on someone’s mind. Perhaps the usual banter is about a football game. And while it can be easy to bypass those conversations as unimportant or unproductive, each time we stop and give that team member time to listen, we open the door for what may be a critical conversation in the future.

“Sometime we assume that same employee is coming to talk to us about the same thing … but the next time, that employee may be coming to you with something very important,” Quezada says. “So listen. Take the time and stop for a couple minutes.”

Four words that destroy employee relationships

While stopping and listening opens a door to engage with others, Quezada acknowledges that there is one statement that can close the door very quickly and make it hard to open again:

“I don’t have time.”

The damage to the employee relationship isn’t just in the words, but in the overall message that response sends to the individual. Quezada adds, “That’s saying to me that I’m not important.” And that response can be internalized with that individual as “I’m not going to come back to you again.”

But so many dairy farm owners and managers are busy, and their time is stretched. How can you respond to an employee’s request when you don’t have minutes to spare, yet want to motivate and empower your team?

The simple answer can be to schedule a future time for the conversation, and following up on it.

As Quezada reassures, the key to motivating and empowering people is this: “Listen. Listen to what they want to say.”

Hear more from Juan Quezada on his “Five Principles of Leadership” from the Uplevel Dairy Podcat here:

And share this conversation on leadership in Spanish, featuring Juan Quezada and Elsie Gonzalez Leach from Motiva Dairy Consulting:

Fraud Alert: Don’t Fall Victim to These Common Schemes

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 20:38:10 GMT

Farmers routinely handle high-dollar transactions — and the nature of the payments, often through unsecure methods, leaves them susceptible to foul play.

Those unsecure methods include mailing personal checks and buying parts from an unknown online vendor. However, one of the biggest fraud trends Angela Lewis, deposit control manager at Southern Bank in Chillicothe, Mo., is seeing involves how many operations handle employee payroll.

“We see employees commit fraud, especially through written checks from employers,” Lewis says. “Employees will steal the account number and routing number off the bottom of checks and create fake checks.”

Mail fraud and check washing is another tactic that can quickly drain thousands of dollars from an account.

“If you have mailed a check that was paid, but the recipient never received it, you may have been a victim of check washing. In fact, check washing is the No. 1 form of fraud we are seeing with our business customers right now,” Lewis says.

Check washing typically involves a check being stolen from a mailbox and then a scammer “washes” the check in chemicals to remove the ink and/or uses a copier to print fake copies of the check. Other criminals can then purchase the fake checks and deposit them.

To protect your operation from scammers, Lewis shares these tips:

Use online banking. “As a business, you should enroll in and use online banking daily to review copies of all checks issued to ensure they were not altered,” she says. “Also make sure to review the backs of checks to verify the endorsement information matches your intended payee.”
Follow up. If you are going to mail checks, make it a habit to follow up with the people or businesses to make sure they receive it.
Switch to online payment options. Your financial institution likely offers e-checks, ACH automatic drafts or other online bill pay options.
Confirm the goods. When it comes to making purchases from an unknown source, such as on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, Lewis shares it’s a good idea to meet the seller in person and verify the goods prior to sending the money. “Newer scams we’re seeing involve the use of payment apps, such as Cash App, Paypal, Venmo and Zelle, and social engineering to convince people to send money for fraudulent goods or services or to send money to fraudulent accounts,” Lewis says. “Once the funds have been sent, they are difficult to recover.”

If you do fall victim to a scam, there are a number of organizations, in addition to your bank, available to help. For example, several states have a division within their department of agriculture dedicated to this type of crime.

According to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s public information officer Kim Doddridge, the organization’s agriculture crimes unit is responsible for tracking and investigating crimes in Tennessee related to agriculture, forestry and wildland arson, animal health and agribusinesses. While many of their cases are related to livestock cruelty, arson and equipment theft, Doddridge shares they have dealt with reports of cattle purchasing scams, cattle selling scams and email scams.

In addition, USDA’s Office of the Inspector General has a fraud hotline to report violations of laws and regulations in regard to USDA programs. These can be reported anonymously either online or by phone.

7 Reasons Your Best Employees Quit

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 21:11:54 GMT

Learn how to avoid these frustrating and deal-breaking mistakes

Yes, recruiting members for your team is extremely difficult. But before you spend your time and energy on that challenge, focus first on your current team.

“Put retention in front of recruiting,” suggests Mel Kleiman, president of Humetrics, a human resource consulting firm. “Become a place that people want to work, and then when people hear you have an opening, they come to you.”

How do you prioritize retention? Analyze why employees leave your farm. Many times, their departures fall into these categories.

1. Substandard Co-Workers: “The good employees aren’t paid enough to cover for or put up with the hiring mistakes,” Kleiman says. Don’t force your good employees to compensate for others who are lazy, indifferent or undependable.

2. Mind-Numbing Tasks: New employees are often handed boring and repetitive jobs. Even in downtimes, come up with meaningful work, suggests Erika Osmundson, director of marketing and communications for AgCareers.com. Find ways to make roles on your farm fun or challenging.

3. No Attention or Authority: “When a supervisor is so busy fighting the fires created by problem employees, he or she never has any time for his best people,” Kleiman says. Many times, this busy leader also fails to delegate authority to capable employees, leaving those employees frustrated.

4. No Training: Forgot that often-repeated phrase that training is not a good investment because “they’ll leave in three months anyway.” Establish an ongoing training plan, suggests Wesley Tucker, University of Missouri Extension agricultural business specialist. “Utilize multiple methods to ensure employees absorb and retain critical information,” he says. “Look for opportunities for both formal and spontaneous training.”

5. No Chance for Advancement: Do you share insights about future opportunities or positions? Recognize how advancements drive retention and job satisfaction. “A lot of times, we hire young people and think they are great,” says Dave Allen, president of Agri-Search, a placement firm for agricultural jobs. “So, you let them go do their thing. But, if you forget about them, they will be gone in two years.”

6. Lack of Respect: Employees need positive recognition, Kleiman says. “Praise in public and criticize in private,” he says. Many times, supervisors avoid positive feedback for fear the recipient might ask for a raise – this is the wrong approach.

7. Scheduling Conflicts: When an employer promises “flexible hours,” but it turns out “flexible hours” means having to work whenever and however long the manager wants them to, good employees look for the exit door. “Structure work schedules to allow for flexibility,” Osmundson suggests. “Maybe you can work shortened hours during certain parts of the year. Look for unique ways you can offer flexibility.”

Learn more tips on how to lead your team at the at the 2021 Top Producer Summit. Register now!

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Veterinarians Authorized To Administer COVID-19 Vaccine In Some States

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:56:13 GMT

Veterinarians routinely administer vaccinations to their animal patients. Now, in some parts of the U.S., practitioners – along with other health-care providers – are being authorized to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to humans.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack told AgDay Host Clinton Griffiths on Monday that President Joe Biden is looking to expand both the number of vaccines available as well as qualified individuals available to administer them.

“Veterinarians are currently working in states that allow them to administer shots to be able to expand the core number of people necessary to get as many of us vaccinated as quickly as possible,” Vilsack said.

“The reality is that unfortunately, and tragically, a lot of people in rural America still have concerns or hesitation about the vaccination or may not be able to access it or a vaccination site,” he added.

In early December, the Connecticut Department of Public Health issued an order authorizing veterinarians along with podiatrists, dentists, dental hygienists, emergency medical technicians and paramedics who have received proper training to administer the COVID-19 vaccine.

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) reports that on January 7, Colorado followed suit when Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order—an amendment to executive order D 2020 038 issued April 15, 2020—approving temporary emergency authorization for veterinarians to administer the vaccine. The authorization was to stay in place only until February 6. On January 14, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued a directive authorizing veterinarians—and dentists, dental hygienists, and podiatrists—to give the vaccine. The complete article by the AAHA is available at https://bit.ly/3ckVA1O

In addition to some U.S. states, veterinarians in parts of Canada, namely in the province of Manitoba, have also been administering the COVID vaccine to residents.

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FAQs on COVID-19 Vaccination with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:55:55 GMT

To answer common questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, U.S. Surgeon General vice admiral Dr. Vivek Murthy joined AgriTalk on May 4. This was the same day President Joe Biden shared the goal for 70% of adults in America to have had at least one shot of the vaccine by July 4.

“The progress report is good,” Murthy says. “We have made tremendous progress in vaccinating the country to date. If you look at people above the age of 65, we’ve gotten at least one dose of the vaccine into more than 80%, which is pretty extraordinary. And we have about 70% of our seniors who are now fully vaccinated.”

But even with those 150 million people who have had at least one shot, Murthy says the country needs to have another 100 million shots administered in the next 60 days to reach the president’s next goal by July 4.

You can listen to the full interview with Murthy here:

On the segment, Murthy answered several commonly asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine:

Do we have enough supply?

“Here in America, we have done a good job of bolstering our supply. So we do have more and more vaccine available for those who want it. And we also, very importantly, have more places where you can get a vaccine.”

What is being done to increase access to the vaccine?

“There are over 40,000 pharmacies in the country that now have vaccine to offer. We have community vaccination sites, we have community health centers where we’ve actually directly delivered vaccine from the federal government and we’ve got more primary care doctors who are getting vaccine direct-ly in their offices so they can give it to patients. The President and the administration will be providing more direct funding and support to rural health clinics to support outreach as well as direct allocation of vaccine to rural health clinics so they can directly vaccinate their own patients.”

How is access being improved specifically to rural America?

“We know rural areas are different from urban areas, people are more spread out, it’s not always as easy to travel to one location that’s close to everyone to get a vaccine. So we’ve got to work through some of those logistical barriers, which is why the funding for the rural health clinics and for these mobile units is so important. But we also know everyone looked gets information from different sources. We’re a big country. Not everyone listens to the same news station, radio station and that means we’ve got to do more work in getting information out, and particularly through people’s doctors, which is the reason behind one of the projects we launched. From my office and other offices in the government it’s something called COVID-19 Community Core, where we bring together doctors, nurses, faith leaders, local business leaders and others to get the accurate information they know they and their communities want and to be able to share that with them.

In addition to people trusting the doctors and nurses who take care of them, we know about 50% of people say they would take the advice of a family member or friend when it comes to making a decision on the vaccine. What that means is even if you don’t have a medical degree or a nursing degree, you can still be a vital force in helping people understand the vaccines we have for COVID-19 are a way to protect them against COVID and a way, ultimately, for us to help turn this pandemic around.”

Why are people hesitant to get the vaccine?

“We’ve seen a lot of news stories about people being hesitant to get the vaccine. But what we’re finding actually is people who haven’t gotten vaccinated yet it’s a combination of a few things. Some people have questions, which are important to answer. We want people to get answers from reliable sources, like their doctors or their nurses who take care of them. But we also know some people are wondering if it’s really that important for them to get vaccinated. Maybe they’re young and healthy, and they think, ‘Hey, I’m not at high risk of a bad outcome, do I really need to get this vaccine?’, or maybe they’re working two or three jobs and don’t have transportation to get to a vaccine center.

We’re trying to work on all three fronts to make sure we’re working closely with doctors and nurses around the country, as well as pastors and other faith leaders, to help get information to their com-munities. But we’re also trying to improve the number of access points so it’s easier and easier hope-fully over the weeks ahead for people to get vaccines in their pharmacy, in their doctor’s office or in their neighborhoods.”

Should people who have had COVID-19 get vaccinated?

“The answer is yes. And here’s why. It turns out the immunity you get from a natural infection is actually not as robust. It’s not as strong as the protection you get from the vaccine. So you’re more likely to be at risk for reinfection. That’s why we’re asking everyone to get vaccinated regardless of their prior infection.”

What if people still have questions?

“I always say our health is personal to us. And if you have questions, you absolutely have a right to get those questions answered because ultimately, it’s your health. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind about the vaccine.

Recognize 90% of doctors in this country have either gotten the vaccine or are planning to get it as soon as possible. That tells you about the faith the medical profession has in the vaccine.
Keep in mind these vaccines, even though it seems like they were developed on a quick timeframe, the technology behind them has been in development for decades.
We are lucky enough to see the culmination of that research, and these vaccines have been studied rigorously in clinical trials and what we’ve seen with nearly 150 million people having received at least one dose of the vaccine is this side effect profile remains really strong in terms of safety. The effectiveness remains extraordinarily strong and high as well. That’s what you want to see — high effectiveness and very low risk in any vaccine you take.
I know many people are worried about the side effects of the vaccine. But first of all, the vast majority of people don’t have side effects from this vaccine. Those who do tend to experience one to two days of flu-like symptoms, meaning fatigue, maybe a low-grade fever and a body ache, but that lasts for about a day or two. Then it goes away, and they feel pretty good. Afterward what you’re left with is protection from the vaccine.

“It’s certainly a blessing to be able to serve the country, especially at a time like this during this pandemic crisis. I’m eager to do everything I can to help,” Murthy says.

Sarah Beth Aubrey: Develop a Personnel Pipeline

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Agriculture has always adapted to changing technology. Where we lag other industries is in our human capital development.

Training for today’s functions is like putting gas in the car to operate it. Training for future capabilities is like designing a whole new vehicle. One is for now, and one is for the future. Both are essential for your farm.

REACTIVE TO PROACTIVE

I encourage farm leaders to focus less on needs to be filled season-to-season and more on needs in the 24-to-48-month horizon.

A greater focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in primary school means your future generations are not only interested in these areas — they might be far better prepared to lead in these tasks than you are today. Consider that a real benefit.

TALENT ACQUISITION

I believe it is critical for smaller-sized companies, and especially family businesses, to align strategic direction with future talent needs.

An undeveloped talent pipeline poses a greater risk to a company when fewer people are in line for CEO. Your exit strategy and your personnel development pipeline must align.

To get started, think broadly about the idea of talent acquisition in terms of a brief risk assessment that considers the talent pool now and the decisions you have yet to make. Have you done the following key tasks?

Identified the critical roles for the next 12 to 24 months.
Assessed emerging roles in the next 24 to 48 months.
Managed performance and career paths for key employees.
Identified successors for key employees and leaders.
Evaluated flight risk and retention strategies to keep key personnel.

FUTURE JOBS

Roles at the farm now are different than they were 30 years ago, and the change going forward will blow our minds. There are jobs that don’t even exist that will be integral aspects of future farm management.

With that in mind, there is no need to develop young leaders into functions that might soon be unnecessary.

While you can’t avoid essential training to operate the machinery of today or to plant the crop next season, you also need to look ahead and find ways to prepare your successors and employees for the future.

Sarah Beth Aubrey’s mission is to enhance success and profitability in agriculture by building capacity in people. She provides executive coaching as well as peer group and board facilitation.

With Nashville as the backdrop, Top Producer Summit brings together the nation’s top producers for networking, education, entertainment and more. Take time away from the farm to discover business opportunities, gain invaluable insights and increase your competitive advantage.

Register now!

2025 Ag Workplace Trends: What Employers are Saying

“What are you hearing out there? Are employers still hiring?” These are common questions posed to AgCareers.com as a job board and human resources service provider specific to the agriculture and food industry.

To help agricultural employers compete for top talent, we not only analyze what is happening on our job board and learn from conversations with employers, but we also aim to identify issues, opportunities and trends by surveying agricultural employers in our annual HR Review.

Pressure is on for Employers
AgCareers.com recently analyzed the 2025 Agriculture and Food HR Review data to provide an outlook of what agricultural employers experienced in 2024 and what they expect in 2025. Retention continues to be top of mind for employers, persistent even into the focus of recruitment strategies in the new year. Employers are also feeling the pressure to get compensation right, along with concerns about rising wage rates. Most employers are experiencing recruitment difficulties, amplifying compensation and retention issues.

Agricultural employers need people, and keeping those they already have in place is a top priority. Staying on top of how to reward their employees is essential to retention. From flexibility to bonuses and appropriate salary increases, employers in the industry are increasingly aware of the competitive nature of keeping their top talent while enabling the ability to effectively recruit new talent when posed against both competitors inside and outside the industry.

The AgCareers.com HR Review details employers’ plans for salary increases, workforce development and training, benefits and more.

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