Join us as we discuss managing employees on your farm. Employees make it possible to get more done, but managing workers and their work takes dedicated time, energy and processes. Whether you manage one seasonal worker or a large year-round crew, good management can make the difference between making headway on your farm's work or just creating headaches. Join veteran farmer and educator Chris Blanchard to learn how to create a productive, positive work environment by communicating clear expectations and implementing systems for efficiency and accountability. In this workshop, you'll learn how to:

• Utilize practical tools to increase employee satisfaction and productivity;
• Remove emotion from management decisions and actions;
• Build a team culture; and
• Collect and use labor information to make operational and investment decisions.

Chris Blanchard provides consulting and education for farming, food, and business through Flying Rutabaga Works. As the owner and operator of Rock Spring Farm since 1999, Chris  raised twenty acres of vegetables, herbs, and greenhouse crops, marketed through a 200-member year-round CSA, food stores, and farmers markets. Prior to 1999, Chris managed student farms, worked as an intern, packing house manager, plant breeding assistant, and farm manager, and provided consulting for a major organic processor, in California, Wisconsin, Maine, and Washington state. His workshops, writing, and consulting throughout the country about farm business concepts, food safety, organic vegetable production, and scaling-up have gained a reputation for fresh approaches, down-to-earth information, and honesty.

Questions? Contact Jason Grimm (jason@ivrcd.org) or phone 319.622.3264.

* This project is funded in whole or in part by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.