Leadership

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.

Tradition to Tech: How a Minnesota Couple is Modernizing Their Dairy

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 14:08:09 GMT

In an era where the fusion of traditional farming and technology is revolutionizing the agriculture industry, individuals like Megan and Tim Schrupp exemplify what it means to combine passion, community and innovation for a sustainable future. Nestled in the heart of Eden Valley, Minn., their operation, NexGen Dairy, is a beacon for modern dairy farming practices.

A Legacy of Dedication
The Schrupps’ farming journey started as part of Megan’s family farm. This duo represents the new wave of farmers, milking 1,200 Jersey and Jersey-cross cows along with 30 registered Guernsey cows from Tim’s family stock. Though farming wasn’t initially on the career trajectory for this young couple, as Tim ventured into construction and Megan aimed to be a meteorologist, they were eventually drawn back to their roots, driven by the potential they saw in modernizing their family operations and carrying on their legacies.

“My father always encouraged me to be a dairy veterinarian,” Megan says. She now smiles looking back and says, “He obviously saw my future path better than I did.”

Innovative Management
After practicing veterinary medicine in a clinic for a couple years, Megan came back to her home farm in 2014. Today, under her management, NexGen Dairy emphasizes employee excellence and sustainability. She actively leads efforts in hands-on cow health practices, which include pregnancy checks and surgeries, ensuring the best care through comprehensive in-house services like breeding and hoof care.

On the other hand, Tim brings his construction background expertise to enhance farm infrastructure, evidenced by the heifer barn the family built in 2016.

“Every year we seem to have a decent size building project,” he says. “We utilize summer help with high school students.”

Tim Schrupp’s background in construction gets put to use at the dairy as each year brings a new building project.

(Nexgen Dairy)

Community Leadership
Despite how busy farm life is, the couple is actively involved in the agricultural community, starting their journey with the Young Cooperator group through their milk processor, First District Association, in 2013. Their leadership was recognized as they were appointed chairs of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) YC advisory board this past fall. The Schrupps’ passion for networking creates valuable learning opportunities and connections for themselves and others facing similar challenges across the industry.

“It’s good to be part of these kinds of networking opportunities,” Megan explains. “It’s nice to know others are also going through similar situations and challenges.”

Not only do they participate in initiatives such as “Dinner on the Dairy,” to engage with the public about their dairy farm life, but they also empower young enthusiasts through a heifer lease program, guiding children in county fairs and state competitions. The duo believes nurturing future generations helps create advocates for dairy farming in otherwise suburban environments.

“We have 14 kids at our local county fairs, state fair and some national shows with them,” Tim shares. “We try to help them with fitting and clipping animals, too.”

The couple work hard to help kids who otherwise wouldn’t get this experience and say if the urban kids show interest, it’s worth helping them out.

“Many of these kids live in the suburbs of the Twin Cities. If they go back and tell their friends how much they love cows, that is a good thing for our industry,” Megan says.

Megan Schrupp uses her past in veterinary medicine to lead the dairy’s health initiatives and implement new tools.

(Nexgen Dairy)

Embracing Technology
Technology forms the backbone of NexGen Dairy operations, with Megan leading data-driven decision- making processes framed by cutting-edge tools such as Alta CowWatch and Nedap collars. Their categorical approach to breeding optimizes herd health and productivity with a balanced plan using sexed semen and strategic sales of beef-on-dairy cross calves.

“In this day-and-age, making decisions is so crucial that we need to collect data that helps us make subjective decisions objective,” she says. “We need to dairy at the next level, and so we rely heavily on technology to bring us to that level.”

The herd’s focus is on both longevity and production with the top portion of the herd bred to sexed semen and the bottom portion to Angus. They breed just enough females to fill the pipeline of replacements and don’t want to raise any extra. The beef-on-dairy cross calves are sold within a few days of age, with a buyer who comes and picks them up when there is enough to fill the trailer.

“Beef cross calves usually leave anywhere from two to seven days,” Megan explains.

Sustainability and innovation can also been seen in the farm’s solar panels that were added in 2019.

At NexGen Dairy, Megan and Tim Schrupp are continuing their legacy while taking it to the next level.

(Nexgen Dairy)

Facing an Uncertain Future with Optimism
Despite the uncertainties that are facing the dairy industry today, the Schrupps continue to be steadfast in their overall mission. Their approach molds time-honored practices with new, cutting-edge technologies to help predict and capitalize on any emerging opportunities.

For Megan and Tim, dairying isn’t merely a profession, it’s a legacy that has continued and transformed with each passing generation.

“We both are grateful that we’ve been given this opportunity to actually run this farm,” Megan expresses. “It’s so hard if you are not in the industry to get where we are at, so I feel a big sense of gratitude that we’ve been given the opportunity.”

The Schrupps are not content with maintaining the status quo. They are pushing the envelope, continuously refining their processes, learning, growing and being inventive. They recognize the value of their team and seize each opportunity to propel their farm’s success further.

NexGen Dairy is more than just a dairy farm; it’s a progressive model of sustainability and innovation. Under their stewardship, the farm exemplifies how modern agricultural practices can coexist with a rich heritage. By fostering dedication, community involvement and technological advancements, they’ve set a meticulously blended blueprint for future success in dairy farming.

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.

Mini-Master Class: How to Have Incredible Conversations

Fri, 09 May 2025 17:07:16 GMT

Do you dread networking events and small talk?

Maybe you’ve been told you are hard to talk to or you struggle to get past the “where are you from, what do you do” conversation that ends in an awkward silence.

Whether you are a dairy producer or a professional serving the dairy community, if this is you, keep reading.

I’m about to give you a mini-master class in how to have incredible, meaningful conversations that will transform your relationships in both your professional life and your personal life.

This is from a list of tips I shared with the Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI) earlier this year, and my personal cliff notes from interviewing more than 1,200 people over my 20-year career as a journalist and podcaster, combined with professional resources and science-based research.

In Dale Carnegie’s famous book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” he said the most basic human desire is to feel important. What does it take to make someone feel important? It takes creating a space for them to feel seen, heard and understood. If you can accomplish this, your conversations and relationships will reach an entirely new level.

How, you might ask?

Use these three C’s to become a person others want to talk to:

Charisma:
Gestures, facial expressions, body language — this is what makes up 82% of our first impressions and have nothing to do with the words we say. How we stand, how we move sends a message without saying a word.

Here are a few tweaks to up your charisma and exude a level of warmth and openness:

1. Show your palms. A wave or standing with hands in a triangle pose with palms showing is a subconscious cue that you are non-threatening.

2. “Up” face. Be conscientious of the corners of your mouth. That slight smile goes miles.

3. When one-on-one: Angle your full body and toes toward the person you are talking to.

4. In a room: Stand with toes angled outward, do not block your chest. This signals openness to conversation.

5. Eye contact: Aim for 60% to 70% of conversation while looking someone in the eye.

Curiosity:
Ask these open-ended, thought-provoking questions to go beyond the surface level:

Working on anything exciting lately?

What are your big goals right now?

What’s it going to take to get there?

Cues:
Make someone feel seen and heard by giving them the opportunity to talk. If at a table, lean back in listening mode to give the other person non-verbal permission to keep talking. Give a slow nod to acknowledge that you hear them and encourage them to continue to open up. Repeat back what they are saying to show they are understood.

If you put a few of these tips into practice, you might just find that the most incredible conversations where you learn the most are the ones where you speak the least.

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Discover the Passionate Young Visionary Leading Holstein Association's Future

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:10:58 GMT

Lindsey Worden’s journey through the dairy industry is one marked by growth, passion, and a relentless pursuit of betterment. At just 40 years old, she was appointed as the chief executive officer of the Holstein Association USA, a position that perfectly highlights her lifelong dedication to dairy farming and purebred genetics.

Worden’s story begins on a family dairy farm in New York, where her early childhood was steeped in the world of agriculture. Her father became very interested in learning more about western style of dairying and so the family made the bold move to New Mexico, which was in a growth mode at the time. This move transitioned them from milking 65 cows in the Northeast to 1,400 cows in the southwest. This transition exposed Worden to diverse farming techniques and further fueled her interest in the dairy industry.

Passion for Youth Development
Her involvement with youth development began at an early age in New Mexico. Worden remembers helping with the classification of their cattle, to which Worden fondly recalls getting to take the day off school to help with that.

“That’s really how I started getting interested in dairy,” she shares. “I love the genetic side of things.”

Heavily involved in 4-H, Worden participated in showing dairy heifers, pigs, and horses. Her family supported her and her brothers by building a barn to house their show heifers, thereby nurturing her budding interest in animal husbandry and community involvement.

“4-H was my sport,” she enthusiastically recalls.

Transition to College and the Dairy Industry
Worden’s desire to continue in the dairy sector influenced her educational pursuits. Through connections, she was introduced to the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she was drawn to dual majoring in Dairy Science and Life Science Communications.

During her college summers, Worden undertook roles that further deepened her understanding of the industry. From assisting in her parents’ dairy dispersal that had them selling their New Mexico dairy and their cows that had them going cross country again to dairy in central New York to interning at the University of Wisconsin Extension and the Holstein Foundation, each experience prepared her for a career at the Holstein Association.

“To think back, I was very fortunate to experience the dairy industry in different parts of the country,” Worden shares, noting during college she was able to visit high genetic farms that she only dreamed of visiting.

Leading the Holstein Association USA
Little did Worden know that her last internship in Brattleboro, Vt., would set the stage for her future career that has spanned nearly 18 years with the Holstein Association. In her new role as CEO, she faces the challenge of leading an organization that has significantly impacted the dairy industry. Her approach focuses on encouraging innovation, supporting membership and advancing genetic solutions.

“I first started less than 20 feet away from where I’m at now,” she shares. “I firmly believe everything happens for a reason and as I kind of look at how I’ve migrated through my life, I feel fortunate to have met some wonderful people along the way. Those people believed in me and gave me great opportunities. So, I just feel really lucky. I I love what I do, I love working for membership organization. I’ve got about a real passion for the registered cattle, and I’m excited about the future of the industry.”

While Worden believes her life roadmap can be inspiring to other young dairy kids, she says, two things stuck out on what helped lead to her success.

Advice to Young Dairy Enthusiasts
Worden acknowledges her success stemmed from her willingness to embrace challenges and take risks. She encourages young dairy enthusiasts to step outside their comfort zones and seize opportunities, even if they feel unqualified. Her own move to Wisconsin, though daunting, led her down a path that shaped her life’s trajectory.

“Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. It was a big deal for me to move to Wisconsin from New Mexico, a totally different culture. I didn’t know anybody. This was really before cell phones were something that teenagers just had. My parents drove me up there and dropped me off, and I had a calling card. There was a phone on the wall of the house, and I didn’t know a soul. And, if I hadn’t taken that internship and did something very uncomfortable, my life would be a totally different trajectory,” she shares, encouraging others to attend activities, go to conferences and put themselves in situations where they meet new people.

“Also, say yes to opportunities,” she says. “Even if you don’t feel like you’re ready, or you don’t think you’re qualified, and you’re scared. I say, do it.”

Impact of Mentorship
Acknowledging the impact of her mentor, John Meyer, Holstein Association’s previous CEO of more than two decades, Worden emphasizes the importance of compassion and people-centric leadership. She aims to incorporate these values into her role, recognizing that the industry is as much about people as it is about cows.

“John’s been a tremendous mentor for my entire career,” she notes, sharing that she has learned a great deal from him. “John always cared about people, whether it’s our employees or our members. He is so personable. He took time to learn people’s names and learn their stories. And when he talked to people, you could see that he truly cared.”

Future of the Dairy Industry
Under Worden’s leadership, the Holstein Association continues to embrace genomics and genetic advancements, propelling the breed forward. In the past two decades, Holstein cows have seen remarkable improvements in milk production and quality, thanks to dedicated dairy farmers focusing on economically vital traits.

Worden points out that over the last two decades Holstein cows have produced 12% more milk, 25% more fat and 19% more protein.

“This is incredible,” she says, noting that farm management comes into play, but so does genetic improvements. “The focus that dairy farmers have placed on trying to breed better cattle, using the best bulls that they can and really focusing on those economically important traits is incredible.”

Embrace Change and Seizing Opportunities
Looking ahead, Holstein Association is committed to sustainability and feed efficiency, exploring new traits like residual feed intake. Worden notes that dairy producers are eager to employ these tools, underscoring their adaptability and forward-thinking nature.

“It’s great to just always have that sounding board of directors that says, ‘this is our reality,’” she says, noting the conversation in the board room is linked back to what’s going to move the needle for those that milk cows every single day of the year.

Worden may have only had one employer since college, but her passion and dedication for dairy could easily fill a barn. Her leadership at the Holstein Association USA is paving the way for innovative practices that will benefit dairy farmers and the industry for years to come. Through her inspiring story, Worden illustrates that with readiness to embrace change and seize opportunities, great achievements are possible.

Your Next Read:
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Successful CEOs Do These 4 Things

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 16:13:23 GMT

I’ve had the privilege to sit down with many incredible leaders, including the CEOs and high-level managers of dairy farms and dairy businesses. Each one is like a case study on success, an opportunity to listen in for the common threads of the characteristics, habits and mindsets of those who are leading operations that are both profitable and reputable.

So, what do these leaders have in common when it comes to developing both strong teams and strong balance sheets?

In a recent conversation with third-generation CEO of T.C. Jacoby & Company, Inc., Ted Jacoby III states so clearly what I’ve heard from many others as he highlighted these four keys to success as a CEO:

Step 1. Hire talented people.
“Don’t be afraid to hire the best people you possibly can,” Jacoby says.

That means hiring people whose aptitudes and skillsets surpass your own. Choose those who will make your business better.

Step 2. Communicate a clear picture of what success looks like for them.
As Jacoby describes, the clarity of that picture must be catered to the style of communication an employee best receives.

He said, “Some people are very detailed thinkers, and they have to build concepts in their own brain based on many details. Others are generalists … they don’t actually get into the weeds on the details.”

Step 3. Equip them with the skills and resources they need to achieve that success.
Whether it’s the right tools or the best training, employ the talent you bring to your team with what they need to make that picture of success a reality.

Step 4. GET OUT OF THEIR WAY.

“It sounds easy, but it’s not,” Jacoby said. If you’ve hired really good people, if you’ve trained them well, if they know what success looks like and if you provide them with all of the resources that they require to be successful, your most important job is to get out of their way.

These keys to success build upon each other within an organization:

The power is in the PEOPLE.
The ability to SUCCEED is rooted in the ability to LEAD.
And great LEADERS have the ability to LET GO in order to empower others to utilize their talents and make decisions - even when that means making mistakes.

To hear more from Ted Jacoby III, listen to this Uplevel Dairy Podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4iD8Qh6YqDvJajb7xGngJd?si=sLaT7-9FR1C9NqLW1CNf0A

Stop Thinking of Your Employees as an Assembly Line

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 16:51:17 GMT

Haven’t had to correct an employee on proper protocols lately?

Then you should be very concerned.

In today’s modern agricultural industry we too often think of our employees as Henry Fordescue cogs in an assembly line.

Employees are handed SOPs and job descriptions that have been approved by management, FARM and our processors. They are trained and corrected until they master them. After this mastery, managers then often place the employee in the back of their mind. Only returning to them when problems arise, when the system requires extra training or when introducing an evolution of their job description.

But when does this benign neglect of high performing employees become dangerous?

This threshold is reached when protocol becomes the only standard. When protocols are unequivocally followed by employees. When “We’ve always done it this way” becomes the employee’s credo.

Managers should expect employees to drift, to deviate, and even alter protocols.

These alterations are not malicious. They are simple first order changes made by employees in the spirit of adaptation and improved efficiency. They are very much a sign of a healthy workplace.

When we hire individuals we force them into a new social context. Challenging their prior sense of self, forcing them into our “SOP” molds. A natural side effect of this is a loss of control; something that is necessary for employees to feel satisfied with their work and life. If this erosion of life satisfaction persists, this will result in employees leaving this new social environment, aka their job.

Healthy workplaces encourage employees to take back control by allowing them to trial different efficiency changes. They expect and even invite deviation of SOPs; which must occur within a safety net or “rails” involving and even requiring managerial oversight.

By providing an environment of encouraged change managers are able to provide a sort of “health” test for the operation. Because as James Clear stated;

“When people say they don’t want to change what they really mean is they don’t have an incentive to change.”

Using this metric, a lack of change or protocol drift by employees over time would suggest the opposite of what we think. Instead of thinking things are going well, managers should be concerned that employee’s autonomy is being suppressed. So much so that the operation could be at risk of being unable to retain premier talent long term.

Managers should look for, encourage and be relieved by protocol deviations. Rather than correcting the behavior outright, one should be asking deeper questions. Find out why the employee changed the protocol, altered the order, or modified the task. More often than not this “trend towards change” will have an operation headed in an improved direction; one that will empower and improve your operation.

Your Next Read: What Dairy Leaders Can Learn from Winning Sports Teams

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:

Seven Common Threads of Top-Producing Herds

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 15:24:27 GMT

What are the common characteristics of top-producing herds that best the competition?

Karen Luchterhand, PhD, C.O.W.S.® program manager for Novus International, Inc., shared her thoughts on the subject at the 2023 World Dairy Expo. Her observations were based on data from herds in the Midwest and Northeast collected via the NOVUS C.O.W.S. program, which utilizes individual-farm information – more than 600 data entry points per farm -- to guide management adjustments for herd improvement.

The C.O.W.S. database ranks herds by both milk production and combined fat and protein per cow. Luchterhand said those that are getting the most from their cows tend to:

Milk 3 times per day.
Prioritize heat-stress abatement by investing in mechanical ventilation, misters, soakers, and sprinklers to help assure a steady climate for cows year-around.
Feed more than once per day.
Utilize headlocks as a feed barrier to ensure more consistent feed access and consumption from cow-to-cow.
Focus on stall management for cleaner, more comfortable cows that rest more easily.
Manage time budgets so cows are away from their home pen only 3.5 hours or less.
Dial in on nutrition, by balancing for amino acids; ensuring 24-hour feed availability; and feeding not only for production and stage of lactation, but also according to parity to accommodate specific needs of each stage of life.

Luchterhand noted all of the top-10 component herds in a recent C.O.W.S. assessment were Holstein-based.

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:

What is the Biggest Challenge in Animal Agriculture? The Answer Might Surprise You

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 17:06:38 GMT

The list of challenges facing animal agriculture is complex and multifaceted. This is what Dr. Robert Hagevoort from New Mexico State University Dairy Extension shared at the 2023 Milk Business Conference in Las Vegas.

Hagevoort summarized that the top concerns of leading dairy processors include price volatility, disparate sustainability initiatives, emission accounting methodology, aligning supply and demand to include the world demand and labor availability. Although he discussed several other more persistent and emerging challenges for animal agriculture.

Sustainability “I think the [dairy] industry is doing a really nice job in terms of coming to grips with sustainability and moving forward and looking from a self-motivated reason in terms of efficiency. Anything we can do to reduce our carbon footprint and make sure carbon doesn’t go into the atmosphere is a good thing.”
Animal Welfare “As an industry, we’re looking at cows very differently. Animal Welfare does not live in a vacuum. It’s something that we do with our employees. The result of us working with our employees, making sure those animals are fed well, treated well and all those different things. Yes, it’s a challenge, but it’s something we’re well aware of and moving in the right direction.”
Global Food Security “Global Food Security is a challenge. If you look at the amount of food that is currently being wasted (around 40%) and we find answers to infrastructural problems…then we’re working in the right direction.”
Antibiotic Resistance “The way the industry is working, and the way we are now treating our cows, we are doing our due diligence to do the right thing. I think we’re also moving in the right direction. It’s not to say that we don’t have challenges or issues.”
Consumer Preferences and Awareness “We’re certainly dealing with the new influx and the challenges associated with all these plant-based and fake protein foods that are out there. But I think at the end of the day, the need for animal proteins is going to prevail in that department.”
Technological Advances “There’s a tremendous amount of advancement and trends of technology that we’re implementing, and we’re moving more and more in that direction.”
Regulatory and Trade Issues “There’s no doubt that we currently have a challenge with regulatory and trade issues. We’ll always deal with those.”

Hagevoort also highlights rising input costs and labor shortage as worries that not only keep producers up at night, but as real concerns impacting the industry.

“Just look at the last year as an example with extreme feed prices, high labor costs, and very high cost of production,” he says. “And then the labor shortage is a serious threat to an industry from a sustainability perspective. If you’re not economically sustainable, you won’t be around to do all the other ones. So, economic sustainability is the first pillar for sustainability.”

Producers say Labor Management is Their Biggest Issue

Aside from feed and milk prices, Hagevoort says labor is a producer’s biggest issue.

He shared a September 2023 Wall Street Journal article which stated, “Work experts have warned for years that the combination of baby boomer retirements, low birthrates, shifting immigration policies and changing worker preferences is leaving U.S. employers with too few workers to fill job openings. While the labor market is softening, none of those factors are expected to change dramatically in the coming years.”

Hagevoort says this magnifies the importance of talent management and ultimately looking within to develop talent.

“We need to change from what is referred to as the hunter and gatherer environment where we hired a guy with the right talent to maybe home-grown philosophy,” he says. “How much money are we leaving on the table by not taking advantage of talent either undetected or underdeveloped in your operation?”

Hagevoort says there isn’t much producers can do about labor availability.

“The question is how much money are you leaving on the table by not getting 100% on your employees,” he asks. “We want to make sure they are willing to give you their 100% because that is the best ROI you can create in your business.”

The shift the dairy industry has seen means owners and managers are now managing people, not cows.

“Yet, they were raised to be cow managers,” Hagevoort says. “They went to school to learn about dairy and farm management. They did not learn how to manage people.”

Training Challenges

The challenges producers face training employees on dairies have increased because of several factors, including low literacy, a non-English speaking workforce, a high employee turnover rate, limited to no internet connectivity and limited computer/IT resources.

Hagevoort says his general observations and findings is that the employee workforce has drastically changed over the last decade.

A large majority no longer come from an ag-background.
The large majority have no experience working with large animals or equipment.
60% of employees are at a 5th-grade level education or below.
High level of illiteracy or low reading comprehension level.
Very high level of labor turnover on dairies, especially in the first 6-12 months.
Shift in typical workforce make-up to more Central Americans.
Different culture - indigenous (Mayan) vs. Hispanic.
Different language (K’iche vs. Spanish).
Different body stature/build.

Hagevoort encourages you to ask yourself, ‘What does all of this mean for productivity, results and performance metrics?’ He reminds producers that labor is not only the main challenge, but that managing people is far more difficult than managing cows.

“Most owners and managers are at a total disadvantage,” he says. “They are great cow managers.”

Two things Hagevoort shares successful owners do is get out of their comfort zone and purposely focus more on leading people.

“If that is not in your personality, then hire somebody excellent to help do that,” he says.

Click on Extension Dairy Home (nmsu.edu) for more information on the U.S. Dairy education and Training Consortium.

Darigold Appoints New Interim Chief Executive Officer

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:36:29 GMT

One of the nation’s largest dairy companies, Darigold, Inc., announced that Chief Executive Officer, Joe Coote, is leaving the company, and the Board Chairman, Allan Huttema, has been named the interim CEO, effective immediately.

Coote, who has spent 12 years working globally in the dairy sector, joined Darigold three years ago as the president of its international ingredients division and was named the cooperative’s CEO in January 2022. The Australian native is stepping down from his role as he intends to return to his home country.

“Serving as CEO of Darigold the last two years was a great privilege,” Coote says. “I have enormous respect and admiration for our farmer-owners and the teams across our business that work so hard to keep our customers stocked with great, high-quality dairy products. Having been away from my home country for many years now, my family and I are ready to return to Australia to begin new adventures back home.”

Huttema shares that Joe took over as CEO at a time when the company was early into a transformation to grow and modernize the business.

“Under his leadership, we took significant steps forward on that effort, beginning construction of our new facility in Pasco, launching a migration of our business management systems, and beginning to develop a culture rooted in excellence in operations,” he says.

Huttema – one of Darigold’s 300 farmer-owners, has been a member of the cooperative business’ board of directors for the last nine years, of which he has held the position of chairman for the last three. He shares that he will take over as interim CEO with the benefit of having an extremely capable leadership team in place, including several Darigold veterans and newer leaders with proven track records across the dairy and consumer packaged goods sectors.

“Our business is structured to run around two divisions – business to business and business to consumer – each with experienced, proven leaders running them,” he says. “I have full confidence that the team and the structure we have in place will help ensure that we continue serving our customers in the way they have come to expect from us.”

Headquartered in Seattle, Darigold, Inc. is the marketing and processing subsidiary of the Northwest Dairy Association (NDA), which is owned by nearly 300 family-owned farms in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Darigold handles approximately 10 billion pounds of milk annually.

Horizon Award Honors Husband-and-Wife Team for Their Drive and Focus

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 16:59:42 GMT

Each year, Top Producer recognizes a producer under the age of 35 who demonstrates excellence in the business of farming, specifically marketing, finance, technology and family and employee relations. Congratulations to Martin Angus, the 2022 recipient of the Tomorrow’s Top Producer Horizon Award. Brendan and Elaine Martin were recognized at a ceremony held Feb. 14 during Top Producer Summit in Nashville.

Brendan Martin learned early on that cows equal cash flow. He started building his herd in high school with the goal of one day owning his own farm.

Growing up in the Shenandoah Valley near Mt. Solon, Va., Brendan began building equity and his farming dream through heifers, custom hay bailing and hard work. His reputation attracted the attention of a neighbor who was looking to slow down. The neighbor wanted a young, energetic farmer to purchase his cow herd and lease his 280-acre farm. Brendan stepped up to the plate.

Today, Brendan’s diversified and multi-faceted operation is a team effort with his wife, Elaine. In addition to their 280-acre home base, they lease around 600 acres of pasture and farmland. They raise corn, alfalfa, small grains and hay, and their cattle operation includes a registered Angus and commercial Angus herd, 210 fed cattle and 1,030 feeder calves. In the past couple of years, they have invested in their cattle facilities to increase cow comfort and feeding efficiency.

In 2019, the Martins added Blue Cedar Beef, a direct-to-consumer beef business. They ship beef all over the nation every week of the year. They also do custom mowing and litter spreading and recently added a trucking business. Their team includes two full-time and two part-time employees. Brendan also owns a large animal mobile veterinary practice, Valley Herd Health. Elaine specializes in record keeping, payroll and financial management for the farm, as well as keeping a close eye on the cattle herd.

As the Martins look toward the future, their goal is not to have the most cows or acres. They are motivated by their return on investment and creating generational impact in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.

Take a trip to Martin Angus with this video from AgDay.

The Horizon Award is sponsored by Corteva and Pioneer. The winner receives an all-expenses-paid trip to Top Producer Summit; virtual mentoring sessions from Kristjan Hebert, the 2020 Top Producer of the Year; and a DJI Phantom 4 Drone, courtesy of Corteva.

The Online Top Producer Summit is set for Feb. 22-23 and will include live, on-demand and recorded sessions from the event in Nashville. Register now!

Set Micro Goals to Accomplish Big Dreams in 2023

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 15:03:21 GMT

It’s the season for setting resolutions. Does this motivate or overwhelm you? For most, it’s the second.

Why? We set lofty goals that are challenging to meet.

Instead of writing down these big audacious goals, Jon Acuff, an entrepreneur, speaker and best-selling author, has better advice: Set micro goals.

“A micro goal is a small action that generates big results; a micro goal punches above its weight,” Acuff says.

10 MINUTES FOR 30 DAYS

As you set your goals in life (prioritizing your family, running a profitable farm, etc.), brainstorm little steps you can take to impact those goals. Acuff suggests micro goals take 10 to 15 minutes and you do them each day for one month. Yep, we’re talking less than 10 hours for the entire month.

Here are a few Acuff recommends:

Read 10 pages of a leadership or development book each day. Feel free to find something not related to farming (it can even be fiction).
Encourage one person. It doesn’t have to be a handwritten letter with a wax seal. Just once a day say one encouraging thing to one person.
Walk, bike or run one mile. Essentially every day you’re moving your body for a quarter of an hour. Acuff likes the mile approach because at the end of the time frame, you have traveled 30 miles in a month.
Write down one thing for which you’re grateful — on paper with a pen or pencil. Recognize big and small blessings.
Spend 10 minutes planning your day. This is one of my favorites. Look at your calendar, check your to-do list and make a plan to accomplish the big things.

You can pick one or 10 micro goals to do for one month. Regardless of the number, you’ll see the results. What if you miss the third day? No big deal.

“We’re not aiming for perfect,” Acuff says. “Even if you only do your habit for 50% of the month, that’s infinitely more than you were going to do if you didn’t set the goal. So don’t let perfectionism steal the joy of a micro goal.”

Want more inspiration to accomplish your goals? Watch Jon Acuff present at the 2021 Top Producer Summit .

Understand Yourself Better and Be Better on the Job

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 21:00:38 GMT

Are you interested in being more effective in your business and personal interactions? Are you tired of butting heads with that annoying person on your team day after day? Are you looking for ways to be more efficient as a leader on the farm, in your business or at home?

In a practice tips seminar at the American Association of Swine Veterinarians annual meeting, JD Fiechtner, key account veterinarian for Boehringer Ingelheim, shared tips to help people “Be Better Than Before.”

In the swine industry, continual improvement in production systems isn’t just a good idea, it’s the standard. But Fiechtner points out that it’s all too easy to be so focused on the pigs that we forget to make time for the continuous improvement process in our own lives.

“The key behind all of this is communication. About 90% of corporate errors could be fixed by effective communication, and 75% of communication is received incorrectly in a business setting,” Fiechtner says.

That’s why he decided to present his practice tips session from a different angle – emphasizing communication.

“They say it’s important to know your audience. But I believe knowing yourself is just as important or maybe perhaps more so,” he says.

After trying personality profiling tests such as the DISC Assessment and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, he heard about the Enneagram. Of course, he said he couldn’t resist trying it out. And it was overwhelmingly helpful.

“I recommend the Enneagram Institute Site where you can take the Rheti 2.5 test, which consists of 144 paired questions. It takes 30 or 40 minutes. It costs $12 online for the Institute to send you your measurements or results from the test for you to discern your basic personality type,” Fiechtner explains.

Not only did he discover more about his dominant personality, but the Enneagram also expands on the basic reflexes of the nine dominant personalities and the positive and negative interactions between the different personality types.

Reflex Actions

Fiechtner says it was helpful to understand his reflex actions and why he reacts the way he does.

“It allows me to take a deep breath now, understand that reflex, and then make a conscious choice of how to respond accordingly. My tendency is to do X, and it may not always be healthy,” he explains.

But he points out the most helpful part is being able to use his knowledge to better interact with others. For example, if he knows ahead of time what someone’s hot buttons may be, he’ll work harder to avoid tripping those negative responses.

“The Enneagram allows me to understand why people respond or react to things. If I’m able, I will prepare ahead of time to hit the primary spots that mean more to them than the negative response applications,” Fiechtner adds. “None of us are perfect. It’s a maturing response process where you can choose to respond in what is the best interest of both of you, rather than just responding according to your reflex emotion.”

Understanding your innate responses can help you become more positive. For example, Fiechtner says he’s a logical, black-and-white, straightforward kind of person. Yet he interacts with people who are on the emotional side and are more aware of their feelings.

“At times, it has been difficult for me to understand that some people do not want to receive my logic just because it’s right,” he says. “I learned I needed to consider how my words may affect their feelings, too.”

If you understand how the other person receives things, you can change how you present them.

“The only place you have control is yourself. So, start there,” Fiechtner says. “I think with a basic understanding of others’ personalities, we can be more accepting. It helps us avoid those pitfalls of negative interactions so we can focus on positive communication and progress, rather than little nuances that may bother us.”

Read More on Farm Journal’s PORK:

What’s Top of Mind for Swine Veterinarians in 2023?

Girl on Fire: Paizlee Hardin’s Return to the Show Ring

Why We Need More Youth to Speak Up About Ag

This is What Showing Livestock is All About

How a Livestock Barn Helped One Iowa School Flourish

When Talent and Passion Collide

American Ninja Warrior Alex Weber to Address the 20th Anniversary Milk Business Conference

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 19:23:12 GMT

The 2022 Milk Business Conference keynote speaker Alex Weber once said, “I don’t believe that failures ever end, but what I do believe is that our ability to move past them grows.”

Alex is an American Ninja Warrior, award-winning leader and entertainer who positively inspires millions to achieve breakthrough success. Not only does Alex talk the talk as an in-demand international speaker, but he has also walked the walk as an elite competitor on NBC’s Emmy-nominated series American Ninja Warrior.

Truthfully, it was more like he took a leap of faith. This wildly popular TV show has sparked a global phenomenon to the extent that hundreds of thousands of people apply, and only a few hundred are given the rare opportunity to compete. Alex is the only person to host and compete on NBC American Ninja Warrior.

Alex’s greatest passion is championing your highest potential by helping you find your edge because success is about more than just knowing what to do, it’s knowing how to do it. Alex shows top professionals and leaders how to bring their very best every day and to the most high-stakes situations that can make or break your success. It’s his sincere understanding of peak performance and peak challenges, mixed with inspiring stories and actionable strategies that make Alex unforgettable and your human shot of espresso. With his contagious energy and passion, Alex shares his game-changing secrets to record-breaking success.

With risk comes reward, and to continue being a part of the 2% of dairy farmers that feed the world, we need you all to continue being bold with your decision-making to move your dairy forward. This is not easy, as the challenges that you all face are real and never-ending. From inflation that has impacted every corner of your dairy operation to labor challenges, ongoing government regulations, as well as changing consumer demands—the challenges are big.

Like a ninja warrior, dairy farmers are steadfast with dedication, know how to work hard and persevere when the odds are stacked against them. You all roll up your sleeves and work hard day-in and day-out because deep down, you sincerely care about the role you play in the dairy industry.

Register today and join us for the 20th Anniversary Milk Business Conference . Along with our special keynote speaker, we have a rock-solid line-up of many dairy producers and leading industry experts to talk about the challenges and opportunities ahead for dairy.

The full agenda and registration link can be found here at: milkbusinessconference.com

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!

When Your Plate Is Too Full: Delegate More to Stress Less

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 14:48:20 GMT

Think about the tasks and duties that fill your day. Do you continually put some off? Do some not match your talents? Are there ones you just don’t like?

If so, it’s time to delegate. This business best practice is helpful to any leader and can you feel less overwhelmed, overloaded and scattered, says Marlene Eick, a leadership coach from Wooster, Ohio.

Taking more off your plate starts with shifting your mindset and asking the hard questions, Eick says. It also requires a willingness to share the workload.

“Most of us struggle with letting go of work we’ve done habitually for years,” adds Mark Faust, president of Echelon Management. “But delegating just part of the lowest priorities immediately frees time you can spend on the top priorities and makes a mighty impact.”

Eick and Faust recommend farm leaders ask these questions to delegate better spend their time.

1. What can someone else do?

Take an inventory of everything on your plate. Consider what tasks could be shared or outsourced to someone else. Eick says it is important to consider your personal tasks, too.

“We can often lighten the load of all the things we have to do by thinking what about what we can delegate in our personal life to make space for those professional tasks or projects we have going on,” she says.

2. Who can do it?

Think about to whom you should delegate, encourages Faust. His advice: Don’t overload one person.

Based on the tasks at hand, who are you looking for? Someone who has entry-level skills? A high schooler? A new college graduate? Or do you need a talented contractor to come in and help with a project?

“Being very clear about what you need is critical,” Eick says. “Make sure you train or instruct them accordingly.”

3. How can you get work to them?

Determine a process to share tasks easily. This could be via a daily e-mail, morning phone call or consistent meetings.

“Find the right way to regularly communicate because no one can read your mind,” Eick says. “They want to help you, but they can’t know what you need unless you are communicating that to them.”

As you assign duties, explain why these tasks are important, Faust says. “Provide context about how a project or task fits into the big picture.”

4. How will you hold the person accountable?

You want to be available to your team but not micromanage.

“Some of my CEO clients find a daily five-minute update to be beneficial for keeping themselves and direct reports on track,” Faust says. “At the least, it is good to check once every few days.”

The Road to Becoming a Better Manager

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 21:31:24 GMT

Managing people can be one of the hardest, most stressful parts to any job. You spend countless hours each week trying to ensure all your ducks are in a row, but then one employee doesn’t show up for their shift, another employee wants more vacation days and your favorite employee up and quits out of the blue. Yep – It can be downright mentally exhausting.

As you shake your head and wonder if it’s always going to be this way, you ask yourself: “What am I doing wrong?” While it might seem like you are failing, you might not be doing anything wrong at all. But maybe it’s time to build your people management skills by making small changes to your mindset and your perspective on problems.

While the road to becoming a better manager isn’t any easy one, there are a few steps you can take to not only improve your work performance, but your team’s performance as well.

Become a Coach

“Great managers know that their number one and only function is to coach, develop, motivate and inspire their staff. That’s it,” says Todd Cohen, co-leader of Career Transitions. “If you think that your job is to step in and do the job of the people you hire, then you will be at work forever. Your job is a noble one, namely, to help people be as good as they can be.”

While it might seem easier to wear your farmer hat instead of your coaching cap, solving your employees’ problems for them won’t solve your management problems. Instead, give them guidance, advice and listen to their concerns. Helping them figure out the answer on their own not only helps them grow, but it can also help you get back some of your own time.

“Amazing managers never, ever, miss an opportunity to coach people up,” Cohen says. “There is a difference between coaching and telling. Great managers get that and live for it.”

Focus on Alignment

A key part of managing your team is to ensure that they understand how their jobs and actions directly align with business goals, according to Tim Stobierski, a marketing specialist for Northeastern University.

“Knowing how and why what they do matters to the company as a whole helps to create a sense of shared responsibility and can improve employee engagement in significant ways,” Stobierski says. “Transparency with your team about goals also helps workers understand that targets are not arbitrarily chosen.”

Be Accountable

When it comes to leading an efficient team, mangers need to be held accountable not only for their actions, but the actions of their employees as well.

“Amazing managers are accountable for their people, and when ‘push comes to shove,’ they step up and defend their people, and then coach in parallel. Doing this ensures they are building consensus, engagement, high morale, and excellent work from their people,” Cohen says.

Give Performance Updates

Giving regular performance updates helps keep your employees on track and has been shown to boost morale. Take time to speak with your employees individually and let them know what they are doing right and what they could improve on.

“It isn’t enough to measure progress towards your goals; you must also communicate this progress to everyone involved,” Stobierski says. “Performance updates allow everyone to understand whether or not you are on track to hit the goals you have outlined. Regularly give performance updates to everyone involved—both stakeholders and those you manage—so that everyone knows how you are progressing towards shared goals. In the event you are not on track to hit your targets, this allows the opportunity to make necessary adjustments to either improve performance or scale back expectations.”

Practice Makes Perfect

Becoming a great manager doesn’t happen overnight. It takes hard work, commitment, and practice.

“Real, hands-on experience in the workplace is a critical piece of becoming an effective manager, as on-the-job training and time spent in a managerial position will allow you to slowly earn the experience you will need to be a successful manager,” Stobierski says.

Remember, it is a tremendous responsibility to have the opportunity to lead other team members. With time and continued practice, you’ll be able to improve the overall performance of your team.

Here's a Sign Your Management Team Isn’t On It’s ‘A Game’

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 18:59:15 GMT

Take a look at your operation. Is just one person doing all the work? While it might seem that way at times, the answer is most likely “no.”

“Great things in business are never done by one person. They are done by a team of people,” says Liz Griffiths, a human-resource consultant in market development for Encore Consultants. “But the important part is that that team needs to be effective.”

Utilizing an effective management team can help you. As the owner or leader of your business, spend less time on the non-urgent and non-important tasks or duties that pop up every day. It provides you with an opportunity to share some of the responsibility and delegate those tasks to your management team. But in order to spend more time on the important tasks, you first must understand where you’re currently spending your time.

Where Are You Spending Your Time?

(Farm Journal)

According to Griffiths, our tasks can be split into four different categories – Important urgent, important non-urgent, urgent non-important and non-urgent non-important.

Important Urgent

“Most of us default to doing the urgent tasks first,” Griffith says. “The problem is if that’s all you’re doing, you’re not able to accomplish the important tasks.”

Important urgent are the tasks that need your immediate attention and cannot be delayed. No matter how much you plan ahead and avoid procrastination, crisis will still pop up. To combat these time suckers, Griffith suggests leaving some time in your schedule to handle unexpected issues.

Important Non-Urgent

According to Griffith, you need to spend the majority of your time on important but non-urgent tasks as they assist with the long-term planning and strategy for your business.

“These are the activities that help you achieve your personal and professional goals and complete the important work that you need to do,” Griffith says. “You need to make sure that you have plenty of time to do these tasks, so they don’t become urgent.”

Urgent Non-Important

“Distractions are urgent but not very important,” Griffith says. “These activities on a daily basis may even be somewhat enjoyable, but these activities are things that stop you from achieving your goals and prevent you from completing the important work.”

Take the time to ask yourself, “Can someone else be doing this? Can someone else assist me so I can get on to the more important goals of my business?”

As the owner of leader of your business, you most likely experience your fair share of interruptions throughout the day. Employees come to you to complain, others enjoy too much small talk and by the end of the day, you wonder where all of your time has gone.

“It’s great to have an open-door policy and you should,” Griffith says. “But in order to get your tasks done, especially the important non-urgent tasks, you need to set aside specific time for that.”

Non-Urgent Non-Important

“These are literally activities with little or no value to your long-term or short-term success,” Griffith notes. “They’re just a distraction and most of the could probably just be avoided.”

If you are spending the majority of your time in quadrants one, three and four, maybe you need to reevaluate your management team.

Identify Your Team

After you’ve discovered where the majority of your time is going, it’s time to identify the team members who can help you accomplish your goals.

“Not everybody should be on your management team,” Griffith says. “Just because they are family doesn’t make it automatic that they are on your management team.”

According to Griffiths, one of the first things you should think about is if these people share the same core values as your business. You want to make sure you have the right people with the right values. These values will determine how you and your employees will run the farm to meet your vision and your mission. They set the principles, values and provide a moral compass for your people and can help you decide the right course of action, establish a basis for decision making and give you some guidance on hiring, rewarding, discipling and even firing employees.

“Some people are not team players and they don’t want to be involved, and that’s okay! You still need those employees, but you don’t need them on your management team because they aren’t going to help move your business forward,” Griffith explains.

G.W.C.

When adding a member to your management team, it’s important to make sure they have these basic qualities:

Get it – They understand what you’re talking about when you explain an idea, a change to procedure or goal and follow up by doing the job right. They train other and lead by example.

Want it – Does he or she genuinely want a seat on the management team? They must understand and embrace the goals of the business and are willing take the steps to achieve those goals.

Capacity - Does he or she have the mental, physical, spiritual and emotional capacity to do this job? Additionally, do they have the time and the knowledge to get it done right?

“Before you give anybody a seat on the management team, he or she must get it, want it, and have the capacity to do the job,” Griffith says. “If any one of those three is a no, it’s never going to work.”

Your team should be composed of solid team members who embrace your core values, communicate effectively, are willing to develop and achieve your goals and have the ability to lead others. If you can identify these people, you may be able to add a few more hours to your day.

“Why not share the workload? Why not encourage ideas and innovation? Why not improve morale?” Griffith asks. “Why not complete all the tasks more effectively, leaving you some time to focus on the business. An effective management team can be a really useful tool for you and your business.”

At the Core of Your Culture

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 22:11:52 GMT

When was the last time you took stock of your farm’s core values? Did you take the time to establish formal values and do you reassess how you’re living up to them? It’s an important task because it sets the standard and helps maintain the culture of your farm. When conflict arises, these values can also be a guide in resolution.

At their most basic, core values are the beliefs that determine the behavior of an individual or organization, says Mark Faust, a growth advisor and founder of Echelon Management. How do you want to be treated, and how do you want to treat your employees and customers?

Need to set them? Here’s how:

Setting core values starts with brainstorming the concepts that are the most important to you and why. You may start with a list of 10+ but focusing it down to the five or six most important will help set the foundation to drive your business. Think about why these ideas are important and what behavior is driven by them.

Don’t set them and forget them, though. Values should be checked in on often, says Heather Schlesser, PhD, dairy agent for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension.

“The management team should be looking at the core values all the time. They need to reflect and say, ‘are we living up to the core values of the farm? Are we fulfilling our obligation? Are we setting those expectations for our employees?’ If you’re having weekly farm meetings incorporate it into that meeting,” she says. “Your core values should be out front. You want to set the culture of the farm and the best way to do it is for your employees to know that your core values really are what you stand on. And you really do believe in them.”

Faust suggests breaking the entire team into smaller groups and brainstorming the five or six words or statements that are most important to each group. Then gradually combine the groups until the entire farm is back together as one. What you’ll often find is that the words on each list will be similar, and you’ll be able to set a final list that everyone agrees on and believes in. Buy-in from the entire farm is key.

“If you don’t clarify the values, and you don’t get agreement from the team, either by facilitating an exercise, or having employees sign off on an actual value statement, there’s no basis for upholding them,” he says. “There’s agreement in how I want to be treated, and I will treat others, but if I don’t live up to these values, I will be held accountable.”

Avoid these mistakes

One of the biggest mistakes after setting values is not discussing them, Schlesser says. This can create conflict between leadership, but also between employees. For example, two brothers are running the family dairy, and each say “family first” is their top value.

“To one that may mean being home to help with homework and every dinner opportunity, but to the other, family first means providing for my family so they have everything they want and need. This may mean longer hours,” she says.

On the flip side, you may feel really dissatisfied with an employee because they’re not meeting one of the standards you’ve set, but did you talk to them about it? Do they understand the expectation, and have you given them the opportunity to fit into the culture? If the expectation is clear, and you’ve had discussions with the employee it might be time to part ways because neither of you will be happy, she says.

For Faust, one of the biggest mistakes is when the leaders aren’t living to the standards they’ve set, “if there’s a problem with the culture, it almost always goes back to the CEO not living up to either stated, or at least aspired to values and thus they’re leadership behaviors are dysfunctional in their leadership,” he says.

For more help getting started try the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension’s Core Value Clarification Exercise .

Use Emotional Intelligence to Tackle The Tough Stuff

Sat, 27 Feb 2021 16:04:57 GMT

As a leader, you are looked to for your reaction in many tough situations. And your reaction sets the tone for how the rest of the team will proceed through the situation themselves.

During the 2021 Top Producer Summit Dr. JP Pawliw-Fry, co-founder of Institute for Health and Human Potential and NY Times best-selling author, gives tips on how to reframe hard situations so they aren’t happening to you but rather happening for you.

Pawliw-Fry has worked with the NFL, NBA, Navy Seals and Olympic athletes. He says the most common barrier to success is our reaction to challenges, which can be managed through using emotional intelligence.

He shares in hard to have conversations, hard to make decisions and hard to do tasks, people can easily navigate the first 92%, but it’s the final 8% of completing one of those three that falls victim to one of two predictable behaviors—avoidance or making a mess of it.

“If you can manage these moments, the world is yours,” he says. “By our data, most people are avoiders, and if you know your patterns, you can manage around it.”

He shares there are two risks to not completing that final 8%. There can be a loss of external reputation from your team, and there’s also a loss of internal reputation within yourself.

“When we choose to avoid a situation, or take an off-ramp or make a mess of something, it effects how we are seen and how we view ourselves,” he says. “If you manage through that last 8% it means you don’t burn up energy in anxiety, you’re managing intentions, and you stay in relationship with those who are you having the tough conversation.”

Our brains our designed to make us feel before we think. If you can hijack that natural process to allow yourself to stay engaged in a challenge rather than react emotionally, you can chart a course for success.

As a tool to assess yourself, Pawliw-Fry shares these three ways to know when you are reacting on emotion:

How you feel physically. For example, heat in your face/head, tightness in your chest, or butterflies in your stomach.
Having a sense of certainty. This is when the world becomes very black/white or right/wrong. It results in being closed off from the conversation at hand.
Urgency. If you feel like an event demands action right now, it means you are overlooking the value of analyzing the situation.

As a tool to help leaders start their day with mindfulness, movement and mental training, he has a free podcast, The Last 8% Morning. Click here to learn more.

And you can see his full presentation, The Calm Person in The Boat: Leverage the Power Of Emotional Intelligence, from the 2021 Top Producer Summit. You can still register for access to the full event’s presentations through March 31. Use the code “ONDEMAND” to take $25 off your registration fee.

Read more coverage of the Top Producer Summit

K-State Mourns Loss of Esteemed Agricultural Economics Professor

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 15:37:10 GMT

Barry Flinchbaugh, whose remarkable career in agricultural policy at Kansas State University spanned nearly a half-century, died Nov. 2 at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka.

He was 78 years old.

The charismatic Flinchbaugh was well known as one of the United States’ leading experts on agricultural policy and agricultural economics. For more than four decades, he was a top adviser to politicians of both major political parties, including secretaries of agriculture, chairs of the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture committees, and numerous senators and state governors.

Flinchbaugh was involved to some degree in every U.S. farm bill written since 1968, and served on many national boards, advisory groups and task forces, providing input on domestic food and agricultural policy.

He served as the chairman of the Commission on 21st Century Production Agriculture, which was authorized in the 1996 Federal Activities Inventory Reform, or FAIR, Act, also known as the Freedom to Farm Act.

“Barry Flinchbaugh will be deeply missed by many generations of the K-State family,” said K-State President Richard Myers. “His expertise and vast contributions to the university, the state and agricultural economics will have a lasting impact on the world for years to come through those whom he taught and counseled. His experiences have touched the lives of many and his wonderfully feisty, thoughtful, helpful and kind personality will be his legacy forever.”

“Agriculture has and always will be the backbone of Kansas’ economy,” said Gov. Laura Kelly said. “Dr. Flinchbaugh helped shape agriculture policy for more than a half-century. While we will miss him and his enormous contributions to our state, he leaves behind a legacy as a Kansan who improved the livelihoods of Kansas farmers, ranchers, producers — and agriculture workers across the nation.”

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, Kansas, who worked closely with Flinchbaugh on farm bill legislation, wrote his condolences on Twitter.

“Franki and I are deeply saddened by the news of Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh’s passing earlier today,” Roberts said. “Dr. Flinchbaugh was nothing short of a legend in his field. His expertise made him one of the most coveted and trusted advisers for agricultural policy for decades.

“Dr. Flinchbaugh’s legacy as an educator and advocate will live on through his work at K-State and his lifetime of dedication to agriculture. I will not only miss his guidance, but I will also miss his friendship, wit and humor.”

Flinchbaugh grew up in York, Pennsylvania, and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Penn State University. He earned a doctoral degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University before joining the K-State faculty in 1971.

At the time of his death, he was professor emeritus in K-State’s Department of Agricultural Economics, teaching a 400-level course in agricultural policy each fall. He also served several years as chair of the Landon Lecture Patrons, who support the university’s prestigious Landon Lecture Series.

A dynamic speaker, it was reported that Flinchbaugh would receive as many as 100 speaking invitations per year. He authored more than 100 publications and co-authored a textbook on agricultural policy.

Flinchbaugh’s no-nonsense style was both loved and cursed; he was known to lay out the facts of an issue whether it was politically correct or not. In a biographical sketch detailing his speaking qualifications, a farmer in Colby once said about Flinchbaugh: “I do not agree with a damn thing you said, but the next time you are in town making a speech, I will be here.”

K-State honored Flinchbaugh with its prestigious Outstanding Teacher Award three times during his career. It is estimated that he taught agricultural policy to more than 4,000 undergraduate students. He connected the university to hundreds of thousands of people by giving presentations to farmers, agricultural business groups and more through its extension mission.

“Our students, faculty and staff are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh, and our thoughts are with the Flinchbaugh family during this challenging time,” said Ernie Minton, dean of the K-State College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension. “Barry was known as the absolute authority on agricultural policy for decades. Few faculty members have had the opportunity to impact so many students and at the same time affect national agricultural policy as Dr. Flinchbaugh.

“We are going to miss his presence on campus, his expertise, his direct talk, his friendship and his affable personality and wit,” Minton said. “We will never forget the mischievous smile underneath his white beard and the bump of his walking cane on the floor following the delivery of a good one-liner.”

Upon his retirement in 2004 as the state leader of agricultural economics, a news release from K-State Research and Extension quotes Flinchbaugh as saying he wants college students and experienced farmers alike to have fun while they’re learning.

“But I also want them to be uncomfortable… to think outside the box. Occasionally you’ll make somebody mad. That’s one of the risks. But they’ll remember what you said.”

Flinchbaugh said one of his proudest professional moments came in 1971-1974 when he worked on a farm tax issue. During that time, he gave 300 presentations and visited all 105 counties in Kansas at least once.

“Barry Flinchbaugh was a man who loved his family, students, university and country,” said Mark Gardiner, Gardiner Angus Ranch, Ashland. “He cared about all people, from the president of the United States to young people trying to learn. We all were better educated after learning from Barry, yet we were better people from experiencing his zest for life.”

Flinchbaugh is survived in the family’s Manhattan home by his wife, Cathy. Flinchbaugh’s family will conduct a private family burial and plans to host a public celebration of his life sometime after the pandemic. Contributions in honor of Flinchbaugh may be made to the Flinchbaugh Scholarship Fund, the Flinchbaugh Agricultural Policy Chair, or a charity of their choice in his name.

In a statement, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, Kansas, said the following:

“Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh was an icon of agricultural policy in Kansas and throughout the nation. Dr. Flinchbaugh was well known for his involvement in helping craft farm bills for nearly five decades, and his authority on agriculture issues made him a trusted advisor to me and many prominent federal officials of both parties throughout his lifetime.

“More importantly, Dr. Flinchbaugh was my friend. We met when I called him more than 30 years ago to ask a question about Kansas tax policy. Ever since, I’ve admired and respected (loved) him. He spoke his mind, told me what he thought and made me a better senator and person. His death is a huge loss to me and all of his many friends, and it is hard to find the words to capture a man revered by so many. There may be no Kansan whose company I enjoyed more.

“Each year I would make a surprise visit to his ag policy class at K-State. His trademark sarcasm, wit and quips that made him a talented professor and a sought-after speaker was always on full display at the front of the classroom. I saw he loved and cared about his students and these feelings were mutual.

“There is no doubt Dr. Flinchbaugh’s presence in ag policy will be felt for generations to come through the thousands of students he taught and mentored during his decadeslong career as a professor at K-State. His loss will be felt deeply within the ag community, and Robba and I will be praying for Dr. Flinchbaugh’s family and loved ones during this time.”

Amy Button Renz, president and CEO of the K-State Alumni Association, said, “Barry Flinchbaugh was a wonderful member of the K-State family and a friend to not only the K-State Alumni Association but to me and many of our staff. He led multiple Traveling Wildcats tours for the association and had a very loyal following. His kindness, wit and infamous personality will truly be missed. My heartfelt sympathies are with Cathy and his children.

“Each year, the K-State Alumni Association presents the Flinchbaugh Family Wildcat Pride Award to a current or emeritus K-State faculty or staff member for his or her advocacy of alumni relations, with a special emphasis on support and participation in alumni programs that engage members of the Wildcat family. An original recipient of the award in 2011, Barry and Cathy endowed the award with a gift in 2015.

“Barry’s family was very important to him and he loved to share stories about his children,” Renz said. “We are honored to have an award named in honor of his family at the Association. Barry had unbelievable pride in Kansas State University and understood the important role that faculty and staff hold in strengthening the bond between alumni and their alma mater.”

Embracing Community and Education

McCarty Family Farms has always been a cornerstone of their community. Known for their deep involvement and commitment to the places where they and their team members live and work, McCarty Family Farms goes beyond simply producing quality dairy products. They are dedicated to making meaningful contributions to their local communities.

Earlier this year, the McCartys took a significant step in expanding their community engagement with the establishment of the Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center. This nonprofit educational facility offers visitors an immersive farm experience, providing visitors with an up close look at life on the farm. Located in Rexford, Kansas, this center offers a unique opportunity for guests to gain a firsthand understanding of dairy farming while also enhancing the farm’s transparency.

“The outcomes that we’ve been able to see with the Learning Center at MVP (McCarty-VanTilburg Partnership Dairy in Ohio) and trying to engage with the community at large and to tell our story of dairy really has been something that we’ve been pretty passionate about even back when we were farming in Pennsylvania,” Ken McCarty, one of the farm’s owners, shared

More than 100 years ago, the McCarty family began dairy farming in northeast Pennsylvania. In 2000, the family moved to northwest Kansas to continue growing their business. Today, McCarty Family Farms is home to more than 19,000 dairy cows and employs more than 200 people across their farms and milk processing plant. Their newest location, McCarty Family Farms North, houses 10,000 and those cows are milked on two 120-stall carousels, the largest in the world.

With the new farm being operational for more than a year, McCarty says the timing was right to open the innovation center to bring people to their farm and show them what dairy is and what it means.

“We want to show how we care for our cows and act as good stewards of the land,” he explained.

Honoring a Legacy
The Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center is named in honor of Judy McCarty, the late mother of the current owners—Mike, Clay, Dave, and Ken McCarty. Judy was known for her warm hospitality and her passion for sharing the farm with the public. By naming the center after her, the McCarty family honors Judy’s legacy and her enduring impact on their community.

“Our mom loved giving tours,” Ken fondly remembers. “It was really close to her heart to open the barn doors and visit with the public.”

The Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center

(McCarty Family Farms)

Mission and Principals
The learning center’s aim is to tell the story of dairy from soil to supper plate. Allison Ryan, Director of Communication and Marketing with McCarty Family Farms, shares that while the learning center focuses a lot on McCarty Family Farms, it also delves into the family’s history.

“I think for the dairy community, it’s so important to remind people that there are families behind these larger scale operations,” she adds. “So essentially we are inviting people to take a look behind the farms that are producing food, regardless of the size of their operations.”

Interactive Learning
The on-site learning center is designed to provide a transparent view of modern dairy farming to visitors. Its mission is grounded in four key principles: education, transparency, innovation, and community engagement.

The Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center

(McCarty Family Farms)

Visitors, ranging from school groups and families to agricultural professionals, are invited to explore milk’s journey from soil to cup through interactive exhibits, games, and guided tours. They will also learn about cow care, water conservation, and regenerative farming practices. The 120-stall milking carousel can be seen from two viewpoints within the learning center. With a scheduled group, visitors may also tour the farm by shuttle for a more in-depth look at the facilities.

Visits are by appointment only. To schedule a visit or for more information, call 785-269-3022 or visit jmdairylearningcenter.com .