Designed for small and medium producers, the University of Vermont’s Farm Labor Dashboard could be a one-stop-shop for all your farm labor questions! They have an employee cost calculator, job description generator, labor policy information, a self-assessment on whether it’s time for you to hire, resources on conflict resolution, and so much more.

Seeking advice on labor law or payroll?

Find advice from Legal Food Hub, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), and Farm Commons (payroll and hiring resources).

Farmers recommend the following companies for human resources or payroll: Intuit Quickbooks, Gusto, Non-Profit Capital Management, BambooHR, OnPay, and Zenefits. Note that if you are a non-profit or small business, you should inquire about discounts you might be eligible for.

Need tips for effective labor management?

Check out video resources from the Ag Apprenticeship Learning Network and SEMAP’s Ag & Food Conferences (2022 and 2023). Conference presenter Anita Adalja also co-wrote Farming Into the Future by Centering Farmworkers, a comprehensive resource for creating a hospitable working environment and retaining labor. Written guides are also offered by Cornell Small Farms. Apply for technical assistance through the Agricultural Justice Project for personalized help with creating management practices that work for all parties; also check out their farmer toolkit for improving on-farm social relations.

Looking to post or find a farm job?

Use the job boards at Northeast Ag Exchange, Good Food Jobs, Beginning Farmer Network of MA, National Center for Appropriate Technology, Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG), or COMFOODJobs by Tufts. Also check out SEMAP’s own job board.

Interested in innovative approaches to farm labor problems?

New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, together with Farm Commons and several New England Extension services, conducted listening sessions and feasibility studies on regional labor challenges and cooperative solutions. View their project report (funded by SARE) and a recording of their results presentation.

Retention of farm labor may be improved by offering employer-provided health insurance! Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts hosted a workshop on how small food businesses may be able to accomplish this. They did so in partnership with MA Health Connector, which has additional resources here.