Cultural lag: A new challenge for mastitis control on dairy farms in the United States

Abstract

Recent changes in the US dairy industry include increases in herd size and the proportion of milk that is produced by large herds. These changes have been accompanied by an increased reliance on hired employees and an increasing role of immigrant labor to perform critical tasks such as milking cows. Thus, there is a growing need for training and education programs for dairy employees because many employees lack previous dairy experience and employee turnover rates are problematic on many farms. Although extension programs have played an important role in the education and support of dairy producers and allied professionals in attaining improved milk quality, dairy employees have limited access to educational programs. Additionally, metrics to assess employee learning are not validated and the ability to sustain work-related behavioral change has not been well described. In this article, we propose a model that may further our understanding of communication and cultural barriers between dairy managers and employees, based on a demonstration project in 12 Michigan dairy herds. As part of this demonstration, a pilot survey was tested to assess the management culture on dairy farms. Results from this survey found that only 23% of employees across all herds were able to meet with farm management on a regular basis, 36% of employees did not know somatic cell count goals for the farm for which they worked, and 71% of employees stated they primarily received training on milking protocols by other employees or that they learned on their own. Latino employees were more likely to not know farm goals or receive primary training on milking protocols from other employees or on their own compared with their English-speaking counterparts. The survey information, along with input from focus group discussions with participating dairy producers, veterinarians, and employees, suggests that extension needs to build capacity for on-farm training and education for employees to support their engagement within dairy operations.

A Guide to the Design of Occupational Safety and Health Training for Immigrant, Latino/a Dairy Workers

“…In order to maximize engagement, it is important to acknowledge that workers may not view safety as their number one priority and build OSH content into trainings on other topics that workers view as higher priorities (which can be identified through formative research) (44). Workers should be consulted regarding the ideal duration and scheduling of OSH trainings (75, 89). A high level of engagement can also be promoted by collaborating with community organizations that already have a well-established relationship with the immigrant, Latino/a community [e.g., Ref.…”

“…Another major difficulty related to promoting OSH among immigrant, Latino/a dairy workers lies in the considerable communication barriers between workers and non-Latino/a dairy owners and managers (89). In addition to OSH training, ESL and SSL classes should be provided to improve communication and comprehension of OSH materials (109).…”

Calf care personnel on dairy farms and their educational opportunities

“…From this, it appears that training is key to an organization's productivity. Erskine et al (2015) piloted a survey of management culture on dairy farms with results that suggested extension needed to build capacity for on-farm training and education of employees to stay engaged with dairy operations. Their work also highlighted the important role that veterinarian-initiated education can have on employee attitudes toward their jobs and the economic value perceived by owners.…”

“…This knowledge is not only important to develop understanding of the need for consistency when following a protocol, but may also help improve understanding and establishment of common herd health-related objectives within the farm, reducing potential barriers introduced by miscommunication. Because employees both desire and need to understand the "why" of what they do is important (Erskine et al, 2015), training programs, particularly for new employees responsible for animal treatments, need to include an in-depth introduction to the diseases, their causes, and why certain treatments are appropriate. These programs should be provided by someone able to answer employees' questions on disease and appropriate drug use (i.e., a veterinarian).…”

Invited review: Determinants of farmers' adoption of management-based strategies for infectious disease prevention and control

“…Along the way, farmers can compare their own farm performance, share experiences, and learn from examples (Campbell et al, 2006;Scottish Monitor Farms Programme, 2014). Similarly, "demonstration projects" can be used to assess the outcomes of corresponding methods or processes applied to several farms (Piepers et al, 2011;Erskine et al, 2015) Numerous variations of these 3 approaches exist, but they are generally underpinned by participatory learning or participatory action research.…”