Labor
Agricultural leaders welcome the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act while warning that severe consular delays could undermine grower gains.
The sweeping legislative package targets rapid corporate consolidation in the agriculture sector while forcing major food companies to provide fair wages and safer working conditions.
Industry leaders argue that expanding the H-2A program to year-round operations is the only way to prevent a total reliance on imported food.
Rep. Glenn Thompson introduces H.R. 9535 to modernize the H-2A visa program, offering the first statutory reform in 40 years. The bill aims to lower costs, streamline applications and expand eligibility to year-round industries like pork and meat processing.
With school out and more youth heading into summer farm work, now is the time to put safety checks in place before kids take on responsibilities on the farm.
Strong employees are not always strong managers, and the difference often comes down to whether they’ve been prepared to lead people, not just do the job.
After passing the House 224-200, the farm bill is headed to the Senate, where SNAP funding could be another problematic topic.
When a good employee’s behavior changes, knowing how to respond can be challenging, especially when the right answer is not clear.
Keeping good employees is not always about pay. Trust, communication and everyday interactions play a bigger role in whether employees stay engaged and committed to their work.
Learn how to protect yourself from ticks, alpha-gal syndrome and Lyme disease with expert tips on prevention, proper clothing and safe tick removal.
As the House Agriculture Committee prepares for a Feb. 23 review, Chairman GT Thompson emphasizes why 2018 policies are no match for today’s challenges and outlines a path forward for farmers and ranchers.
Putting off letting go of the wrong employee often makes problems harder to fix later.
Drawing on a multicultural upbringing, Fine Swine’s Melanie Langley shares how “people care” and an “outsider’s” perspective can transform barn culture and employee retention.
Supervising isn’t about doing more; it’s about getting results through others. Here are five easy ways to delegate instead of doing it yourself.
Moving from a “task-oriented” mindset to a “people-oriented” one doesn’t require a massive budget—it requires intentionality. Here are six small adjustments that can make your farm a place where employees truly want to be.
Prevent employee turnover by replacing “chaos” with clear expectations and hands-on mentorship from day one. Three industry leaders share how you can build a confident, engaged workforce that is motivated to stay for the long term.
Conflict on the farm is a normal part of working with people, and if it’s addressed early and handled respectfully, it can help teams work better together.
A new study is one of the first to describe TN-visa workers in the U.S. swine industry to help inform future recruitment, management and workforce development strategies across the industry.
Create a high-functioning team through accountability, selflessness and shared goals.
Labor costs continue to rise for California farmers, but skilled labor isn’t something growers are able to find with the current H-2A program. Labor experts, economists and farmers agree the current immigration system is “broken,” but a solution could be on the horizon.
Randy Kuker and Adam Annegers share tips that help them attract more employees into pork production, but more importantly, retain them.
At a time when the U.S. is experiencing the lowest levels of employee engagement in over a decade, cooperative organizations are bucking the trend. Here’s why.
Very low non-farm unemployment rates can make finding hog farm employees more challenging.
At least nine dairies in Texas were targets of I-9 audits over the weekend. Producers argue it’s a “broken” immigration system, and the recent audits prove the E-Verify program has flaws. Despite criticism, the dairy industry is pushing to be included in the H-2A guest worker program.
A shrinking labor pool is already having an impact, and ag experts say it’s only going to get tougher.
An Indianapolis-based agricultural cooperative has found a new way to recruit its next generation of employees.
Is the swine industry investing enough into the next generation of kids who simply love pigs?