James Spiers puts in long hours at the dairy farm that he and his father operate near Gladstone, Man.
Spiers works seven days a week and at least 12 hours a day. With 80 dairy cattle to tend, there’s seldom a break from the farm.
With his father wanting to retire from farming within five years, Spiers wonders how he will keep on top of the chores. Hired help could ease that burden, but dairy farmers in Manitoba say it’s tough to find qualified people and tough to keep them.
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“It’s forever a problem we face,” said the 24-year-old Spiers.
The Manitoba Milk Producers hopes it can help. It has asked the Assiniboine Community College, based in Brandon, Man., to develop a training course for dairy workers. Topics would include basic nutrition, heat detection in cows and equipment maintenance.
Bill Swan, chair of Manitoba Milk Producers, hopes the course will be ready early next year. He knows producers who quit because they couldn’t find qualified help. Consolidation has created larger dairy barns, heightening demand for help.
Manitoba Milk Producers hopes the training program could one day be extended into management.
