By Stan Moore
Rules, regulations and recordkeeping requirements are continually being updated in the agriculture labor area. Michigan State University Extension has partnered with several State, Federal, and local partners to bring a series of Agriculture Labor meetings to Michigan. A total of six meetings are being held across the state.
Participants can register online for the meetings being held in Bad Axe on March 19, and Shepherd on March 20. A brochure for each program is also available at the registration site. The registration fee for each of these programs is $35 per person and includes lunch.
Each program runs from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. with refreshments available at 8:30 a.m. The morning session will include guest speakers from ICE (Homeland Security Investigations), State of Michigan, MSU Extension, and Farm Bureau. Topics will include I-9 Updates and Image, Workforce Development Agency and Migrant Resource Council Services, Recruiting Workers and the H2A Program, Ag Labor Law Updates, On-Farm Communcication, and an update on the Affordable Care Act. After lunch there will be a Farm Safety session by MSU. There will be three RUP credits available to those participating in the afternoon session.
Managing your workforce and complying with labor laws requires you to keep up to date on many fronts. Keeping yourself and your workforce safe will impact productivity, profitability, and most importantly save lives. Plan to attend one of these meetings to improve this area of your farm business management.
Other MSU Extension labor programs offered in Michigan this year include meetings in West Olive on February 26, Lawrence on March 11 and Traverse City on March 26. Online registration is available for the West Olive program. To register for the Lawrence program contact Bonnie Knowlton at 269-539-5189 or Mark Longstroth at 269-657-8213 ext. 3. To register for the Traverse City program, call the Northwest Horticulture Research Station at 231-946-1510. Program agendas are unique to these locations based on local grower input.
Source:msu.edu