August 5, 2026: The DCHA Vision and Training-Workforce Seminar in Plainview
Our headline lists the DCHA Vision and Training-Workforce Seminar in Plainview for August 5. Confirm details with the organizer. Whether or not you attend, the questions behind it, finding and keeping good people, deserve a plan.
How do you confirm the seminar?
Go to the organizer's own site or call them to check the date, location, cost and agenda. Extension offices such as Texas A&M AgriLife Extension may also know of regional training events. Treat any third-party listing, including ours, as a pointer only.
Ask about registration deadlines, and whether employees can attend alongside owners.
A third-party description of the seminar is never a substitute for the agenda. If the program lists sessions on supervision, animal handling or safety culture, those are the ones to prioritize for a crew that is growing.
Why do workforce issues keep dairy owners up at night?
Dairies run every day of the year, and the work is physical, skilled and often at odd hours. Finding people who want it, training them and keeping them is a constant challenge across the Texas Panhandle. A good seminar gives you tools and a place to compare notes.
General labor data and programs are available at the U.S. Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rules about wages and workers change, so check current requirements.
If you employ family members, the same questions apply. Who will take over the early shift, who handles the records and what skills does the next generation need? Planning for people is as important as planning for cows.
What does good training look like?
Good training is specific, repeated and written down. Show the task, let the worker do it, correct kindly and check again. Provide checklists for milking routines, treatment protocols and cleaning. Include safety every time.
Resources on worker safety are available at OSHA and this farm safety guide. Consider providing training in the languages your crew speaks, since misunderstandings cause accidents.
Ask your nutritionist and vet to speak to your crew during a regular meeting. Outside voices carry weight, and short talks on topics like calving, treatment records or cow comfort fit easily into a shift change. Extension agents often do this at no cost.
- Written protocols for milking and treatment
- Safety orientation on day one
- Short refreshers every month
- Clear points of contact for questions
- Recognition for good work
How can you attract and keep people?
Pay and schedules matter, but so does respect. Offer predictable shifts where possible, clear paths to better jobs and an honest look at the work. Ask current employees why they stay and what would make them leave.
The career pathways at this ag jobs and careers guide show how many roles exist in agriculture, which can help you describe growth paths to new hires.
Younger workers often look for growth. If your dairy can offer a path from milker to herdsperson to manager, say so. Even small raises tied to new skills make the path real. Ask other producers at the seminar how they structure it.
What legal and compliance questions come up?
Employment rules for agriculture can be complicated, including wages, overtime exemptions, housing and documentation. Do not rely on a forum. Check with the Department of Labor, the Texas Workforce Commission and a qualified employment attorney or accountant.
This is general information, not legal advice.
How do you get the most out of a seminar day?
Bring a short list of problems, take notes and ask speakers for examples. Talk to other producers at breaks, since the best ideas often come from the hallway. Take a key employee along if the organizer allows it.
Afterward, choose two ideas to try within a month, assign owners and review progress in your regular meeting. That is how seminars become real change.
Bring a notebook rather than relying on a phone. Write down names of speakers, resources and websites, and email people you meet within a week. A message sent while the memory is fresh gets a response far more often than one sent months later.
Where can you read something lighter?
Every dairy has a story about a worker who could handle any cow but not the break room microwave. For a laugh, farm.FM has dairy stories and farm jokes, and a farm.FM piece on dairy workers might fit.
Meanwhile, check the official page for the seminar and make your plan.
Sources and further reading
- U.S. Department of Labor: labor rules and programs
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: labor and price data
- OSHA: workplace safety
- Texas Workforce Commission: employment and labor programs
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Texas extension service
- eXtension: national extension resources
Ask locally: Ask your county Extension agent and a qualified employment professional about training resources and labor rules.