Farm-level human resource management: An opportunity for extension

This article reports findings from research of dairy farm employment on large farms In Pennsylvania. Specifically, the article provides descriptions of duties and required and desired skills and training for nine distinct job titles. Based on these findings, training opportunities for managers and workers on dairy farms are suggested, focusing on communication, supervision and employee management, problem-solving, and computer skills. These are areas in which Extension educators have opportunities to improve the productivity of workers and to improve producers' human resource management skills, all of which may lead to increased farm productivity and sustainability.