Building a successful farm business where both production and human relations are thriving is no easy task - yet both sides of the equation are essential. Even so, it’s not uncommon for farmers to feel unprepared or uncomfortable in their role as a boss.

Becoming the Employer of Choice for Vegetable Farmers was created to address this exact need.

Being a boss and leading a team requires a set of skills somewhat different from those used on the production side of things. And while making time to strengthen those skills can be challenging, it can pay off for farmers in big ways - from improved efficiency and product quality to higher employee satisfaction, labor retention, and overall quality of life.

“This program has been pivotal for us to move our farm to the next level. I used to poo-poo these skills as unnecessary fluff. I’m not that person anymore. We need this for our staff and for ourselves in order to sustainably grow our business, thrive, and be happy on our farm.” - 2024 BTEC participant

Throughout BTEC’s 8 sessions, you’ll learn with and from your farmer peers. We will dig into more concrete topics like hiring, onboarding, training, reviews, and feedback. We’ll also explore farm culture, intercultural competence, and emotional intelligence - topics that may feel less tangible but have an important role to play in the overall farm environment. As a BTEC participant, you’ll also have access to an ever-growing online library of supportive resources that will help you put what we talk about during our sessions into action.

All sessions are on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00-11:00 Central Time

Recordings of past classes are available when you purchase the full series.

Nov 13: Developing Intercultural Competence
Nov 17: Strategic Leadership
Nov 20: Farm Business Culture
Nov 24: Building an Effective Hiring Process
Dec 1: Onboarding and Training
Dec 4: Developing a Motivated Workforce
Dec 8: Reviews and Feedback
Dec 11: Engaging with Conflict

If you're an experienced farmer serving in an employer or manager role, BTEC is the program for you. Most BTEC participants have 8 or more years of farming experience. See here for more information and descriptions of the sessions. If you're an aspiring or early-career manager - or you're an employer who would like to connect your crew with a companion training program - consider joining us for the TEAMs program in March 2026.

BTEC was created in deep partnership with experienced farm employers, who also serve on the training team. Dane County Extension hosts BTEC, in partnership with FairShare CSA Coalition. Contact Sarah Janes Ugoretz (sarah.janesugoretz@wisc.edu) with questions.

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law.

This event will be conducted in English. You may request an interpreter, materials in an alternative language or format, or other services to make this event more accessible. Contact Sarah Janes Ugoretz at sarah.janesugoretz@wisc.edu or 608-234-1561 by Thursday, November 27th. There is no added cost to you for these services.

Contact the host of Becoming the Employer of Choice