The Crucial Role of Employee Training and Management in Agriculture

Agriculture relies on more than land and equipment—it depends on people. On a recent Progressive Dairy Podcast, I talked about how sound farm management—including thorough employee training—is key to farm business success. This human element provides the know-how to use labor and natural resources efficiently and safely. 

You can listen to the entire podcast here, but I’ll offer more insights on the topic below. 

Agriculture is hazardous— it has a fatal injury rate of 18.6 per 100,000 workers (along with forestry, fishing, and hunting industries), one of the highest of any industry. 

Considering the risks, farm safety training and strong leadership are more than formalities; they are life-saving practices that improve productivity and protect workers and animals.

Importance of Documentation

As tedious as it can seem to spend time writing down protocols and tracking training sessions, it’s a crucial step that provides accountability and consistency. Without reliable records, managers don’t know who has been trained on what or who needs more guidance. 

With every procedure thoughtfully documented—from milking procedures to machinery operation— each farm employee has the instructions to perform their work safely and correctly. 

It also protects the farm: if an incident occurs, training logs prove that employees were educated in proper protocols.

Training at Onboarding

Onboarding is the time to instill correct practices in each new employee from day one rather than leaving them to learn by trial and error. Walking new hires through standard procedures in animal well-being, job specific training, and safety guidelines helps them integrate smoothly. 

This early investment pays off in a big way: employees who get proper onboarding are more confident and less likely to form bad habits. 

Nearly 40% of workers who don’t get adequate training leave within the first year​, whereas well-trained newcomers tend to stick around and contribute to a safer, more productive workplace. 

Proper onboarding sets the tone for ongoing education and shows that the farm business is invested in its people.

Insights into DairyKind’s Operations

I co-founded DairyKind, an online platform to help farms train their workforce. It offers modules for various dairy roles (in English and Spanish), accessible via computer or smartphone. The platform makes learning flexible so employees can train at their own pace. 

Animal well-being is at its core, but DairyKind also helps farms tackle high labor turnover and inconsistent training standards. It isn’t an auditor, but it helps farmers meet industry training requirements easily. 

Now used by farms in multiple states and already delivering tens of thousands of trainings, DairyKind’s standardized approach gives owners and managers confidence that everyone follows best practices. It shows that investing in training infrastructure can lead to higher productivity, safer practices and, critically, better animal care.

Finding Time for Training

I understand how challenging it can be to find time for training amid all the other tasks you need to complete in a day, but I encourage treating it as a scheduled priority on every farm. Even quick refresher sessions each week or month can be game changers. 

More farmers now see training as an investment that prevents mistakes and saves time in the long run rather than as wasted time. Research backs this up: companies with strong training programs have seen about a 37% increase in productivity. 

Tools like DairyKind’s online modules let staff learn during natural pauses or off-hours. The key is committing to consistent training, knowing it will lead to fewer accidents, greater efficiency, and a more profitable farm business.

Bridging Language Barriers

Bridging language barriers is another important aspect of training on farms. In the U.S., about 78% of farmworkers nationwide are Hispanic, meaning many farm managers will train employees whose first language isn’t English. 

Successful managers use bilingual training materials or translators to overcome this and rely on visual aids and hands-on demonstrations. Providing instruction in a worker’s native language makes training clearer. 

Improved communication boosts understanding of tasks and safety protocols, ensuring essential knowledge—from animal handling to new technologies—is shared with everyone.

Training Across Operation Sizes

Employee training and sound management are as important on small family farms as on large commercial operations. 

Even a farm with only a couple of helpers benefits from having written protocols and training, just as a big operation with dozens of employees does. 

After all, a tractor is just as dangerous, and cows need the same care whether it’s a 50-cow dairy or a 5,000-cow dairy. In the long run, investing in people pays off at any scale.

Documentation (Again): Protection and Transparency

Documentation warrants a second look for its role in protecting the farm and providing transparency. Beyond daily use, records act as proof that a farm is doing the right thing. 

In an era of public scrutiny, thorough documentation of animal care and training is a strong defense for the farm. If any claim of mistreatment or negligence arises, detailed logs and checklists show that management took responsible steps. 

This transparency builds trust with dairy cooperatives, regulators, and consumers. Good training builds great teams, but documentation ensures it sticks.

Wrapping Up:  The Vital Role of Employee Training and Management in Agriculture

Sound farm management maximizes the value of all other inputs—land, labor, capital, and natural resources—making employee training, communication, and documentation core components of a thriving farm rather than optional extras.

Ongoing training of farm workers is paramount for maintaining high animal care, safety, and efficiency standards. Agricultural workers are the hands and minds that carry out the farm’s vision—feeding communities and sustaining the industry. 

On the farm, management includes setting clear procedures, organizing and leading employees, and monitoring results. 

When these functions are carried out well, the result is a safer environment, healthier animals, and higher productivity. Farmers who prioritize employee training and sound management practices build better farm businesses.

You can also connect with me on Instagram or learn about my dairy farm talks here.