KDA Announces Webinar Series on Ag Workforce Topics

The Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Department of Commerce, in conjunction with the Nurture Kansas Agriculture Collaborative Coalition, announce the “Growing Strong Together” webinar series focused on workforce related topics specific to Kansas agricultural employers. The webinars will be offered at 7:00 a.m. Central time each Wednesday in March. There is no cost to participants.

The Nurture Kansas Agriculture Collaborative Coalition was established in 2021 to enhance the well-being of farmworkers and agricultural employers across Kansas by promoting access to essential services, fostering collaborative partnerships, and implementing effective outreach and educational initiatives. The NKA Collaborative Coalition, a collective effort of state and federal agencies, along with private industry, was created to address the unique challenges faced by farmworkers and to strengthen agricultural communities statewide.

The four webinars offered are as follows:

• March 4 — KANSASWORKS Employer Services, Abigail Crandall, Kansas Department of Commerce
• March 11 — The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Worker Protection Standard: Promoting Compliance and Workplace Safety, Jordan Galliher, Environmental Protection Agency Region 7
• March 18 — Bridging the Gap: Retaining the Next Generation of Rural Workforce, Thomas Eisenbarth, Grounded Ag
• March 25 — Wage and Hour Compliance under the H-2A Program, Cassie Stoner, U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division

“The sole focus of the webinar series is to help Kansas ag employers,” said Dana Ladner, KDA compliance education and workforce development coordinator.

Wendy Mongeau, state monitor advocate for the Workforce Services Division of the Kansas Department of Commerce, added, “We want webinar participants to come away with insights and current information that will enable them to better support our state’s farmworkers and agricultural employers and the ag industry.”

Registration and more information on the individual webinars can be found at www.agriculture.ks.gov/workforce.

For more information, contact Dana Ladner at 785-564-6660 or [email protected].