North
West New York
Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
Team
Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
Team
Train
your Milkers to Make You More Money
By: Greg Coffta
During times of depressed milk prices, many dairy producers often start scouting for ways to improve income in the milking parlor. Many cooperatives pay producers based on a scale of milk quality, so naturally if a dairy operation is seeking more income, an obvious method is to improve quality. Recently this trend has emerged and producers are implementing various strategies for improvement, which include milking parlor and routine evaluations, changing routines, changing equipment, updating equipment, improved mastitis monitoring and overall vigilance. It’s easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of systematic changes only to be left wondering which strategies are and are not working. It’s also easy to waste a lot of capital and time. Before adopting a costly or potentially risky change, consider providing training to your Spanish-speaking milking crew in order to improve current and continued milk quality. After all, they live in the heart of the dairy operation- it’s important that they too develop an understanding of milk quality and prices.
The first step is to provide an educational meeting to inform Spanish-speaking employees about milk quality topics, such as somatic cell count, bacteria count, mastitis, treated cows, milk components, etc. If you haven’t yet provided training to your milking crew, don’t assume that they already understand or that they don’t need to understand. It is important that they develop a knowledge of the job and the reasoning behind the procedures; both for improvement and so that they are capable of making good, independent decisions when you are not readily available for advice. Programs exist in the area that can provide these services. The New York Farm Viability Institute and Cornell University offer a support for dairy farms that employ Spanish-speakers, which includes a wide range of dairy-specific training programs, meeting facilitation and document creation in Spanish. Quality Milk Production Services offers a milker training program in Spanish and/or English which is often paired with a parlor evaluation, laboratory analyses and other specialized services. Both of these options are customized to each individual dairy’s procedures and protocols, and are an inexpensive strategy that will have a lasting effect on milk quality, regardless of the subsequent changes.
Along with milker training, continued follow-up is essential to ensure that employees are adhering to procedures and that they understand protocols. A regular staff meeting is an excellent forum to discuss these topics and to address the unforeseen issues that will certainly arise. At the staff meeting, always a include time to discuss the somatic cell count (SCC), and keep the information posted in the break room for the employees to review. Use the SCC to set goals and benchmark progress. Create Standard Operating Procedures and post them conspicuously around the parlor and milkhouse. Remember, however, that SOP’s are most effective when they are introduced to the employees as part of training and then periodically revisited in staff meetings. Finally, once some gains have been made, consider introducing a quality milk bonus to motivate and reward employees for producing quality milk, which also builds a sense of positive interdependence amongst your milking employees. A clear understanding, a clear goal and a sense of teamwork can help your milkers make you more money.
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By: Greg Coffta
During times of depressed milk prices, many dairy producers often start scouting for ways to improve income in the milking parlor. Many cooperatives pay producers based on a scale of milk quality, so naturally if a dairy operation is seeking more income, an obvious method is to improve quality. Recently this trend has emerged and producers are implementing various strategies for improvement, which include milking parlor and routine evaluations, changing routines, changing equipment, updating equipment, improved mastitis monitoring and overall vigilance. It’s easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of systematic changes only to be left wondering which strategies are and are not working. It’s also easy to waste a lot of capital and time. Before adopting a costly or potentially risky change, consider providing training to your Spanish-speaking milking crew in order to improve current and continued milk quality. After all, they live in the heart of the dairy operation- it’s important that they too develop an understanding of milk quality and prices.
The first step is to provide an educational meeting to inform Spanish-speaking employees about milk quality topics, such as somatic cell count, bacteria count, mastitis, treated cows, milk components, etc. If you haven’t yet provided training to your milking crew, don’t assume that they already understand or that they don’t need to understand. It is important that they develop a knowledge of the job and the reasoning behind the procedures; both for improvement and so that they are capable of making good, independent decisions when you are not readily available for advice. Programs exist in the area that can provide these services. The New York Farm Viability Institute and Cornell University offer a support for dairy farms that employ Spanish-speakers, which includes a wide range of dairy-specific training programs, meeting facilitation and document creation in Spanish. Quality Milk Production Services offers a milker training program in Spanish and/or English which is often paired with a parlor evaluation, laboratory analyses and other specialized services. Both of these options are customized to each individual dairy’s procedures and protocols, and are an inexpensive strategy that will have a lasting effect on milk quality, regardless of the subsequent changes.
Along with milker training, continued follow-up is essential to ensure that employees are adhering to procedures and that they understand protocols. A regular staff meeting is an excellent forum to discuss these topics and to address the unforeseen issues that will certainly arise. At the staff meeting, always a include time to discuss the somatic cell count (SCC), and keep the information posted in the break room for the employees to review. Use the SCC to set goals and benchmark progress. Create Standard Operating Procedures and post them conspicuously around the parlor and milkhouse. Remember, however, that SOP’s are most effective when they are introduced to the employees as part of training and then periodically revisited in staff meetings. Finally, once some gains have been made, consider introducing a quality milk bonus to motivate and reward employees for producing quality milk, which also builds a sense of positive interdependence amongst your milking employees. A clear understanding, a clear goal and a sense of teamwork can help your milkers make you more money.
Return to AgFocus Page