Hired managers play a crucial role on vegetable farms. They provide leadership to the farm crew, share responsibilities with the farm employer, and ultimately can strengthen the health of the farm business. However, conversations with farmworkers showed that their limited access to formal training opportunities in leadership and employee management was making them second guess taking that next step in advancing their careers by accepting management positions.
In response, Training and Education for Aspiring Managers (TEAMs) was created. Sarah Janes Ugoretz, Farm Labor Educator, worked with experienced farm managers to create this program, building sessions around the following skill-building priorities: emotional intelligence and leadership, communication and delegation, delivering and receiving feedback, and engaging with conflict.
A core goal of TEAMs is to ground each session in the farm environment, which is generally known for being fast-paced, labor-intensive, and production-focused. Introducing these skills and scenarios in this way increases the likelihood of their impact when the season is underway and things are moving fast. Additionally, with the majority of the training team consisting of experienced farm managers, TEAMs seeks to create strong peer-to-peer connection not only amongst participants, but also between participants and trainers.
The TEAMs program launched in 2022 and has since served an estimated 600 farmworkers from across the country. Participants have built community with each other, contributed to a growing and interactive resource library, and applied new skills in their workplaces. Some have even continued to engage with TEAMs year after year.
An outcome evaluation was completed by participants in early 2025 from the first four years of the program. When asked about individual changes since completing TEAMs, 85% of all respondents reported “some” or “significant positive change” to their emotional intelligence, communication, delegation, feedback, and conflict management skills. Respondents also reported positive changes to farm culture and farm systems as a result of the program.
A major goal of TEAMs is to help farmworkers feel more confident and prepared to advance their careers into farm management roles. 90% of workers who are not currently in a management reported they were more likely to consider accepting a management position after taking TEAMs. And 96% of workers who are currently serving in a management role shared TEAMs helped them feel more confident in this position.
“TEAMs is the most effective class I have ever taken for honing my communication skills, broadening conflict resolution skills, and for developing actual actionable strategies for cultivating a positive workplace culture. Not only is the information provided relevant and thought provoking, but the session moderators are so warm and encouraging that I honestly have never felt so engaged in a Zoom setting. I have taken this class two years in a row, and each time I felt it has both helped build and reinforce excellent leadership habits.” – TEAMS Program Participant
Sarah Janes Ugoretz (she/her), is the Dane County Farm Labor Extension Educator. Her expertise is in farm labor management and leadership. She works closely with farm owners, farm managers, and farmworkers to build rewarding, safe, and productive farm work environments. Visit her website to learn more. You can contact Sarah at janesugoretz.sarah@danecounty.gov or 608-234-1561.
