Dairy Herd Network – Whether it’s the year-round dedication or pre-dawn mornings, it’s no secret that dairy farming is tough work. One dairy has turned to a popular pasttime to improve worker morale and productivity.
At the deVries Family Dairy near Moxee, Wash., farm manager Larry Lowe noticed a lunchtime habit among workers. According to a report by KNDO News available here, what started as employees kicking a few soccer balls during lunch breaks has turned into competitive soccer games between co-workers each afternoon.
“I offered to buy some practice goals, and we just kind of took off from there,” Lowe told KNDO News.
The result? Happier workers, a happier employer, and a very low employee turnover rate.
“It’s indicative of not just a dairy farm, but any employer likes to have happy employees,” said Steve George from the Washington Dairy Federation. “Happy employees like to be at work. They like to do a better job, are dedicated to where they work.”
A blog post by the Dairy Farmers of Washington notes that the deVries soccer team has started to play employees from other dairies. Read more here.
