BOTTOM LINE Thursday, September 16, 2021 SECTION E
Sharing ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
TO YOUR HEALTH
Offer regular farm-safety training JOHN SHUTSKE
I’ve been a farm safety specialist for 36 years, including serving a few years in the farm insurance industry and nearly three decades at universities. I am often asked, “What’s the most important thing we can do to prevent farm fatalities and injuries?” People expect me to talk about installing rollover protection on tractors, replacing machinery shields or wearing personal protective equipment.
While those steps are necessary components of improving agriculture’s safety record, there’s something more important. The top strateShutske gies to implement include conducting regular training meetings, promoting open employer-employee communica-
tion and acting in ways that create a workplace culture where safety is accepted, valued and viewed as key to business success. The idea of safety training for employees can seem intimidating, boring or unnecessary. Some producers perceive that safety education will result in eye rolls from their team or seem like a waste of time. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. At its best, safety training is a way to build stronger
relationships with workers and show them you care deeply about their wellbeing. In our research at UW-Madison, farm workers affirm they appreciate when employers show care and concern for their health and safety. Over the years one concept that’s been well-developed to train workers about farm safety is tailgate or toolbox training. Please see HEALTH, Page E4
Harvest season is a critical time to train team members about actions to take in keeping themselves and others safe. The combination of shorter daylight hours, longer farm-worker hours and more sharing of public roadways between farm implements and motor vehicles make farm-safety training imperative. CONTRIBUTED
PDPW BOARD MEMBER PROFILE
Selling direct opens new opportunities PDPW
When opportunity knocks, open the door. After years of requests from friends and family to purchase beef directly from their farm, the Schultz family in 2020 opened that door and launched an on-farm beef market. Not only were they given an opportunity to provide their community, customers and neighbors with high-quality meat but also the platform to engage, educate and interact with them. “We kept hearing ‘We trust you and how you take care of the land, animals and environment and we want to buy beef directly from you,’” said Katy Schultz, co-owner and PDPW board member. “At the time, we had other priorities but the idea was always in the back of our minds.” Since the 1900s the Schultz family has been farming in Wisconsin. Keven and Cheryl Schultz began in 2002 selling the farm, then operating as Fox View Dairy, to their children. In 2008 the siblings Kari Gribble, Nick Schultz and Katy Schultz began operating as Tri-Fecta Farms Inc. Once the family decided the time was right for direct-to-consumer beef sales they began researching the process to obtain appropriate licenses, creating a logo, making butcher appointments and lining up product inventory. The TriFecta Farms Family Market retail store is located in a small shed on the property where Katy Schultz lives and where the farm’s youngstock is raised. “We opened in May 2020 and intentionally started slowly,” said Katy Schultz. “We knew we needed to walk before we could run, and we worked to build a customer base while we were also building our supply and inventory.” Initially the market was open two days a week for a few hours, with a website at which customers could order online 24/7 and pick up orders during retail hours. Currently the market is open every Saturday for two hours for in-person purchases in addition to the online-ordering option. Their customer base has grown steadily as has the family’s comfort and confidence in the business.
“By the second summer, I had a better understanding of how to manage inventory with seasonal cuts and how to more effectively interact with our customers,” Katy Schultz said. “We try to include sales and giveaways around holidays and while celebrating family member birthdays. Our customers look forward to the fun and it gives us the opportunity to share more about our family with our customers.” She’s also learned to more effectively manage marketing and social-media platforms to fit her schedule. It’s been critically important to use analytics to determine which posts customers are interacting with the most. She plans Facebook/Instagram posts for Saturday mornings and includes an update on happenings at the farm as well as any weekly specials or promotions.
“At first, I was posting more often, but the analytics showed when and where the highest engagement from our customers was happening, so that’s where I focus my time and energy,” she said. In May 2021, they started selling beef at the Green Lake Farmer’s Market which is about 20 miles from their farm. They wanted a venue that was just outside their current customer base to expand their reach. While it’s a great opportunity to have a large number of new customers coming directly to their stand each week, it was also a learning curve for the family. “The customers who make the trip to the farm usually know a little about us already,” said Katy Schultz. “At the Farmers Market, we had to be able to tell them our family
story and about our product quickly so they could get to know us and make purchasing decisions. “The farmer’s market has also been a great way to involve more family members in the farming business,” she added. “My sister-inlaw, Jodi, who works off the farm, has enjoyed getting involved with the apparel design and sales, and the kids are stepping up to help with sales in the market and at the farmers market. The Tri-Fecta Farm Family Market logo was designed by my talented 14-year old niece, Isabel.” The Tri-Fecta Farms Family Market is currently focusing on selling beef and apparel as well as using the market business to engage with their local community. It gives the Schultzes an opportunity to educate customers about their fam-
CONTRIBUTED
From left, Nick Schultz, Nicholas Oft and Katy Schultz visit the Green Lake County Fair. In addition to encouraging their customers to visit and support other local businesses, the Schultz family believes firmly in supporting youth. On their Facebook page they paid tribute recently to local 4-H members whose Green Lake County Fair project animals they bought at auction. ily farm as well as food marketing, controversial topics and the entire agriculture industry. “It has been an unbelievably rewarding experience to interact directly with our consumers,” said Katy
Schultz. “When people come to the market we are able to answer questions they have about beef, agriculture and our farm so they are confident and comfortable buying their food from us.”
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