Staff management was the subject of the latest AHDB Monitor Farm meeting.

The event focussed on how to ensure effective labour management, covering where and how to advertise, planning for succession and motivating good staff to handling appraisals and discipline issues.  

Blandford farmer James Cossins attended and now believes that better conversations with his staff will help him improve his farm business.

He runs Rawston Farm in partnership with his daughter Georgie and they have eight staff at the mixed arable and dairy farm.

Daily morning meetings already happen at the farm and that is how the day's activities are planned. However, Mr Cossins thinks that he could do more with the time.

He said: “Maybe we should open up the meetings more on general topics, perhaps with discussions once a week to talk together about where the farm is going and improvements we can make.

“I think it would give our staff extra motivation and help us all to understand the direction we’re going in. Ultimately, we could improve the farm’s productivity with a happier staff.”

Martin Grantley-Smith, AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Sector Strategy Director, said: “One of the growing weaknesses in agriculture is the lack of continuous management training at the top of farm businesses.”

Philip Dolbear, AHDB Knowledge Exchange Manager for the South West, added: ““Farmers have to think strategically, like agribusiness managers. It can be tempting to run on instinct and tradition, but we need to focus on proactive management instead.

“The key is collaboration and co-operation. It’s about sharing each other’s strengths, maybe asking a neighbour to help you do an interview.”

AHDB will be running another Professional Managers’ Development Scheme for farm business managers in the autumn.