Success starts with trust, communication, transparency

If you take care of your people, they will take care of the cows.

We can train people on the protocols, procedures and details that make a dairy successful, but world-class cow care starts with caring for your people. When you support your team and give them the tools to succeed, they will take care of the cows and the operation.

This belief has driven me through my 16 years at Vir-Clar Farms in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. I started as a herdsman, moved to an assistant herd manager role and have been herd manager for about 12 years. Today, I lead teams managing our production herd, reproduction, calving, heifers and newborns at our home dairy and at Vir-Clar Meadows in Ridott, Illinois. We have about 55 employees across both farms.

My job covers a lot of areas, including hiring, onboarding, scheduling and training. One of my most important responsibilities is making sure our people have the support they need to do their job well.

Trust, communication and transparency are critical to that.

We experienced it firsthand when we started at Vir-Clar Meadows nearly two years ago. We had to work together to update facilities, build the team, implement protocols and organize staffing. It was a bit of a roller coaster at first, but we’ve built a good structure by taking many of the practices that work well at the home dairy to the new location.

Today, I make the 2.5 hour drive to Vir-Clar Meadows about once a week and talk with the team every day. Trust and communication make the distance manageable.

Our team leader there trained at the home dairy for several years and was ready to serve in a leadership role at the new dairy when it became available. He is young, willing to learn and ready to take on whatever challenges are ahead — and he’s backed by a clear leadership structure.

Communication is important in day-to-day work. I like to check in with employees daily and have conversations that aren’t just about work. We often talk about how their family is doing, how their kids are doing in school and sports and what is happening in their lives. We also have formal weekly meetings with team leaders to review what went well, what changed that week and what conversations we’ve had with employees. We share positive feedback and help each other work through challenges.

We also communicate about the “why” behind every job at the dairy. When employees understand the bigger picture, they understand that every aspect of their job matters. From following milking protocols to handling cows calmly and keeping stalls clean and level, every detail is important.

Transparency is especially important when we make changes or have to make difficult decisions. People might not always like a change or decision, but they deserve to understand why we are making it and know that we will continue to support them.

We also believe strongly in investing in our people through training and education. We send team members to training programs and bring veterinarians and experts to the farm for training in areas such as maternity and animal well-being. Recently, our team leaders completed a training program on skid loader safety at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After they were certified, they came back and led a training program for all employees. We have offered English classes and leadership training in Spanish, too.

Education has been important in my career as well. I recently completed all three pillars of Professional Dairy Producers’ Cornerstone Dairy Academy. Each pillar of the program is facilitated by top-notch industry experts. One of the biggest takeaways for me was learning about the different styles of leadership, the importance of understanding our own leadership style and how to work more effectively with our team members. The program also helped me plan for conversations by organizing my thoughts in advance, so everyone walks away with a consistent message and clear understanding of expectations.

Most importantly, the program helped me become a better coach and mentor. I enjoy teaching people and helping them grow into leaders. Watching someone take on new responsibilities and succeed is one of the most satisfying parts of my job. It all comes back to the foundation of caring for our people so they can care for our cows and build a strong and thriving business.

Joaquin Vazquez is herd manager at Vir-Clar Farms in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and Vir-Clar Meadows in Ridott, Illinois.