Farmers concerned about the spread of COVID-19 can learn from the hog sector on the matter of protecting themselves and their workers, says a leading expert on biosecurity in the pork industry. “This is the world of biosecurity that the swine industry deals with on a daily basis,” said Dr. Egan Brockhoff, veterinarian counsellor for […] Read more
Tag Archives farm workers — page 3
Take extra steps to keep farm workers safe during COVID-19
Add biosecurity practices, or ramp up the ones you already employ
Seasonal workers caught up in COVID-19 border closure
Thousands of workers arrive in Canada to plant, tend and harvest crops each year
Updated 1:30 p.m. March 17 Fruit and vegetable growers will be short of workers this growing season with the news that labourers from the Caribbean and Mexico will not be allowed into Canada due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The federal government closed the border to anyone but Canadians and Americans in an announcement on […] Read more
COVID-19 and farm workers: How do we manage on the farm?
Keeping up to date with COVID-19 details and recommended protocols is challenging for everyone at this time. CAHRC has created a dedicated web page with the latest information, recommendations, employee management tips, tools (posters, policies) and links to authorities. These details will help you respond to the pandemic and limit the impact and spread of […] Read more
Producer pitches journeyman farmer idea
Could farm workers be certified like electricians or plumbers?
Glacier FarmMedia – It seems appropriate to have a “light bulb” moment while talking to an electrician. That’s exactly what happened to Kristjan Hebert last summer when a couple of electricians were working at his farm near Moosomin, Sask. Hebert was quizzing the electricians about their profession and what it’s like being a journeyman electrician. […] Read more
Finding and keeping farm employees
Informative job description and positive workplace are key contributors
Farmers across Ontario are struggling to find and keep good help. Marlene Paibomesai, a dairy specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Mark Ferguson, business management specialist with OMAFRA presented tips on attracting and keeping great employees at the 2020 SouthWest Agriculture Conference held in Ridgetown recently. Why it matters: […] Read more
Farm-sitter finds a summer job giving farmers a break
Young farm entrepreneur Meaghan Herrington starts a business taking care of farm chores
Almost any agricultural professional knows that a day off (or two or three) can be an impossible dream. But those living near Brighton, Ont., can turn to Meaghan Herrington and her summer business Early Morning Relief Milking and Farm Services. The East Northumberland Secondary School student offers such services as cow clipping, barn cleaning, relief […] Read more
Alberta extends deadline again for farm trucker training
Alberta farmers who want the Class 1 license needed to drive commercial-scale tractor trailers but haven’t yet met the new training requirements can now apply for another extension to do so. The provincial transportation department on Friday announced further extensions are now available for farmers and farm workers seeking Class 1 licenses and for school […] Read more
New Alberta labour standards for paid farm workers tabled
Waged farm workers in Alberta will be allowed to unionize and get new rules governing vacation pay and youth employment, under a provincial labour bill tabled Wednesday. The new rules are tucked into Bill 17, the Fair and Family-friendly Workplaces Act, which went through first reading Wednesday and, if passed, would take effect Jan. 1, […] Read more
Proposed labour rules for Alberta farms go public
The Alberta public will get about a month to speak its mind on proposed changes to provincial labour laws, with the goal of applying those changes to farms and ranches. The province on Monday released a pair of reports from technical working groups (TWGs) reviewing farm and ranch operations’ status under the Employment Standards Code […] Read more
California first state to promise overtime to farmworkers
Sacramento | Reuters — California will become the first U.S. state to require farmers to pay overtime to field workers and fruit pickers under a bill signed Monday by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown. The bill would phase in overtime pay for farmworkers from 2019 to 2022. In an industry where a workweek during the harvest […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
