Bilingual trainings for milkers in New York State: a success for quality milk

The National Milk Producers Federation in 2009 reported the economic impact that immigration has on the United States dairy farms. Approximately 46% of surveyed farms (n=5,005) use immigrant labor. As dependence on immigrant work increases, it becomes clear that language is a substantial challenge to both employers and employees, especially when neither is bilingual. Different mechanisms have been used to overcome the language and cultural obstacles that may inhibit communication and a positive relationship between employers and employees. The strategies implemented target the language barrier, cross-cultural understanding, and design incentives for producing high milk quality. The objective of this paper is to describe the training and methods that Quality Milk Production Services (QMPS) educators have developed for bilingual training sessions on dairy farms. Quality Milk Production Services (QMPS) at Cornell University understood that effective training is a key issue in the development of employee productivity. Today, more than ever, reliable and bilingual training options need to be available for all dairy producers. The bilingual and customized dairy training we offer at QMPS focuses on a hands-on teaching and practical perspective. The emphasis is on explaining workers the reason for doing what they do when milking, and following standard NMC milking procedures. Trainings are specific to the farms needs and built on two visits to identify eventual gaps in the milking routine. The dairy manager in the first visit indicates his/her specific farm situation, concerns and goals. After documenting this process by taking pictures and videos, the information along with our suggestions, are compiled into the training presented to the farm personnel in our second visit.