But cows crave consistency. Employees can have flexibility, but the Marshmans want their cows to feel the same person is doing the same job every day, says John. He manages the herd, financial records and scheduling. David oversees crops grown on 600 acres, equipment and facilities. Step by step.
SOPs provide the needed consistency and are also used to train and evaluate employees.
The SOPs for calves and heifers were relatively simple to develop. John s wife Sheila, an Extension educator, shadowed employees and wrote down what they did. The parlor SOPs were a different matter. They re more detailed, especially for the night milking. They ve produced more consistency in the parlor, John says.