Learning Spanish and impact on your farm

Learning how to speak Spanish can help build relationships and take your farm to the next level.  Spanish instructor Katie Dotterer and dairy farmer Walt Moore share the impact and how to get started with learning Spanish. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topics below with Katie and Walt:

• 2:03: Impact of learning Spanish
• 5:02: Vulnerability of learning Spanish
• 6:33: Learning Spanish and turnover rate
• 7:40: Encouraging non-Spanish speaking employees to learn Spanish    
• 9:25: Important to bring a fluent Spanish speaker to the farm
• 13:33: Cultures and traditions of Spanish speakers
• 16:40: Embracing the Spanish culture on your farm
• 18:35: Spanish resources in the community
• 23:42: Mindset with learning Spanish 
• 26:35: Challenges with learning Spanish
• 28:30: How long does it take to learn Spanish
• 31:30: How to continue learning and practicing Spanish
• 34:35: Dialects and slang of the Spanish language  
• 36:27: Encouraging Spanish-speakers to learn English
• 39:45: Advice for learning Spanish

Special thanks to The Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode.

About the guests

• Meet Katie Dotterer: A life-long advocate for agriculture and education, Katie enjoys finding ways to infuse the two together. Her love for agriculture and the Spanish language developed through her upbringing as part of the third generation on her family’s dairy farm in central PA. Katie has degrees in Business Management and Marketing, Secondary Education, and Spanish, and is certified in ESL: English as a Second Language. Recognizing a need to bridge an industry wide communication gap, she developed online Spanish Courses tailored specifically to agriculture, through her educational and advocacy business, AgvoKate (a play on her name & advocating for agriculture). Additionally, she rarely turns down an opportunity to advocate and engage with the 98% of the population who are removed from agriculture. She has done this through on-farm tours (in-person and virtual) when she co-owned and operated a dairy farm as a first-generation farmer, public speaking engagements, news segments and through her social media platforms. When she’s not teaching or advocating, Katie loves traveling, dancing, playing piano and guitar, history, palm trees, dark chocolate and tea! Learn more about Katie’s online Spanish courses here or email her at katiedotterer@agvokate.com.

• Walt Moore: Walt is President and General Manager of Walmoore Holsteins, Inc. The family farm has been in operation over 113 years and 5 generations.  Walt is in partnership with his wife Ellen.  Walmoore Holsteins, Inc. milks 1050 cows with a 31,000-pound herd average (producing in excess of 3.6 million gallons of milk annually), raises 880 replacement young stock, 100 Wagyu crosses, farms 1700 acres of corn for silage and grain, alfalfa, soybeans and Triticale.  Walmoore employs 15 full time and several part-time people.  Walt is also the General Partner of Moore Family Farm LP which was formed as a land holding company.  Additionally, Walt and Ellen with partners Duane and Marilyn Hershey started Moocho Milk Transportation Inc. in 2006 to haul their own milk.  Walt and Ellen along with Son Jake and his wife own Moore Meats LLC a premium American Wagyu farm to fork beef company.  Walt has traveled to other states and China helping to educate other producers on Best Management Practices.  Walt also serves on several committees including the Chester County Conservation District Board, London Grove Friends Finance Committee, American Dairy Coalition currently serving as President and On the Center for Dairy Excellence Board currently serving as President. He also served on the PDMP board as the Vice-President and President.  Walt also enjoys spending time with his family, attending PSU football games, hunting, boating and traveling. 

This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. 

Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com.