AgriLife Extension workforce program benefits dairy
AMARILLO – On-site training in a language workers can understand is making a difference at the BenDora Dairy, just north of Littlefield.
BenDora Dairy is working with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service’s Agricultural Workforce and Community Development Program as part of a new pilot project.
The 2,000-cow dairy is a family operation owned by brothers Mark and Roy Long, and their parents Ben and Dora Long. The cows are milked three times daily and there are 30 employees.
Mark Long said the training offered as a part of the pilot program is already showing dividends, and he expects to see more, not only for the owners, but for the workers themselves.
The newly created workforce program is aimed at helping the livestock industry train and maintain its employees, said Robert Devin, AgriLife Extension program coordinator, Agricultural Workforce and Community Development.
AgriLife Extension is working with major industry groups such as the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Texas Association of Dairymen and the Texas Pork Producers Association to deliver programs that address the needs of production-agriculture systems.
The pilot project is being carried out in six feed yards in Deaf Smith, Dallam, Hartley, Hansford and Sherman counties, along with the BenDora Dairy in Lamb County, Devin said. The pilot will continue through August, at which time it will be evaluated for widespread application.
“We want to help them enhance their workers’ skills and productivity to provide stability in the workforce,” Devin said. “In this case, the Longs and Dr. Ellen Jordan (AgriLife Extension dairy specialist) identified three issues that needed to be addressed.”
The dairy wanted the workers trained on calving assistance, injection-site care and cattle handling, Mark Long said.
This training was conducted on site and in Spanish by Dr. Mario Villarino, AgriLife Extension associate from Dallas, which is what Long said seemed to make the difference.
“It was verification of information they already knew, but Mario made a connection with them and helped them develop camaraderie among themselves,” Long said.
Long and his herdsman, Roland Lopez, said they have both tried to explain why they want certain things done in certain ways, but sometimes “if someone else is telling them, they listen better.”
Not only did they listen better, but when some of the production-line workers tried what they thought they had been told and found it didn’t work, they started talking among themselves and asked Villarino to come back and explain it again, Long said.
Lopez said there’s not much training available for the production-line workers, and most have not worked on a dairy before. A lack of communication has been a part of the problem in the past, and most of the workers wanted to go through the training and benefited from it.
The outside men who treat the animals and pull the calves ended up making some immediate changes that are benefiting the dairy, Long said.
“If they do their job correctly, there is less tissue damage and scarring and it makes for easier recovery of the cow,” he said. “The secret to a dairy is keeping the animals bred.”
The other benefits will be seen in a month when the milk check comes in, Long said.
“If the milkers are very clean, you can lower your somatic cell count and that can result in $10,000 to $30,000 in premiums each month,” he said. “Cleanliness throughout the system can result in up to $60,000 in bonuses.”
The workers get a salary, Long said. But when the dairy gets a premium, the workers get a part of that – up to $150 to $350 or more a month in bonuses.
“That’s the way to make it work,” he said. “If we have 18 milkers, that’s a lot of money. But if you think of the money we could be losing if we don’t encourage them to do the best job, it pays off.”
Devin said the next training under the pilot system will be in conjunction with the AgriLife Extension family and consumer sciences program, to take place in town and involve the workers and their families. It will address finances and will be conducted in Spanish at a location where the families will be comfortable attending.
Long said many workers are just renting homes and that may be because buying a home is an intimidating process they don’t understand.
“Our ultimate goal is to get them to stay and be productive,” he said. “Turnover throughout the dairy industry is high. We have been able through our toughness, but fairness, to keep our turnover rate a little lower."
Long said the training being provided through this AgriLife Extension program is one “I would almost pay for – it’s that important.” Having trained workers on site and not having to retrain and go through the two to three weeks a new employee may take to get comfortable with the job saves money.
“There’s really no training programs for many of these laborers in this area,” he said.
Devin said once the pilot project is over, they may consider putting the training into the form of videos for on-site or refresher training. They also may repeat the basic skills programs on a larger basis so more workers can be trained at one time. -30-
