Labor Management for Farmers, Session II: Run Your Team – Middlebury

Run Your Team: Tools for Managing and Motivating Employees on the Farm

Employees make it possible to get more done, but managing workers and their work takes dedicated time, energy and processes. Whether you manage one seasonal worker or a large year-round crew, good management can make the difference between making headway on your farm’s work or just creating headaches. Join veteran farmer and educator Chris Blanchard to learn how to create a productive, positive work environment by communicating clear expectations and implementing systems for efficiency and accountability.

This workshop will cover systems for removing emotion from management decisions and actions, implementing effective leadership, practical tools to increase employee satisfaction and productivity, employee recruitment and dismissal, and how to collect and use labor information to make operational and investment decisions.

Topics include:

• What are employees for?
• Leadership through inspiration, accountability, authority & support
• Using systems to remove emotion from management
• Creating pathways to accountability and efficiency
• Specific tools to achieve workplace satisfaction and productivity for all

Presenter: Chris Blanchard. In fourteen years of farming at Rock Spring Farm, Chris managed over 100 employees, made hundreds of mistakes, and changed the work environment from “The Yelling Farm” into a place he was proud to manage. His workshops are high-energy, fast paced and media-rich. His presentations have gained a reputation for fresh approaches, down-to-earth information, honesty and humor.