The Center Is Offering a $100 Discount to PA Dairy Producers Who Enroll in Fall Course
The United States has the second largest Spanish-speaking population in the world, and 80 percent of the agricultural workforce in the U.S. speaks Spanish. To assist dairy farm families in enhancing communication and building rapport with Hispanic employees, the Center for Dairy Excellence is once again offering $100 discounts to Pennsylvania dairy producers who sign up for Katie Dotterer’s “Farm Spanish Basics” online course this fall.
Led by Katie Dotterer, a lifetime dairy farmer and former Spanish teacher, the online Spanish course will be held live on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from September 27 – November 17, 2022. All classes are recorded and readily accessible to accommodate dairy producers’ schedules. The course is available in both beginner and intermediate levels. Pennsylvania producers who sign up will receive $100 off the cost of registration and access to 16 online, interactive classes along with all the resources the instructor provides.
“When my family dairy farm started to include Spanish speakers on the farm team, my love of the language and culture quickly resurfaced. I noticed the communication gap and dove into learning on-farm vocabulary,” Katie shared. “I loved learning the language and everything it encompasses so much, I went back to school and earned a degree in teaching the language. I created this course to share what I have learned working with Spanish speakers every day on the dairy farm and how fun learning Spanish really can be.”
The “Farm Spanish Basics” course is held online with live classes that are recorded for dairy farmers to watch at their convenience. The 16 classes span over a total of eight weeks and include two, one-hour classes per week. Classes are interactive with in-class work and participation as well as homework for reinforcement of the material. The course will begin with Spanish basics and expand to include specific dairy vocabulary that will help farmers better communicate with employees.
“I took Katie’s Beginner’s class along with four of my farm’s team members. We all had varying levels of Spanish comprehension going into the class. I would strongly encourage any person planning to work on a larger dairy farm or currently working on a dairy farm with native Spanish-speaking staff to take Katie’s class,” said Walt Moore, Dairy Farm Owner, West Grove, Pa. “She tailors the class to help you understand the basics of the language and specific vocabulary centered around dairy farms that we use every day. Her format and passion for teaching Spanish and making connections to dairy farming is infectious. During the live part, she encourages participation and questions which makes the learning experience even better.”
Learn more about the course:
- When: September 27 – November 17, 2022
- Live Class Time:
- Beginner’s Course: 6-7 p.m. EST (Live) on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Sept. 27 through Nov. 17 2022. *The course is live, but recorded, so students can learn when it’s convenient for them. They will have 24/7 access to all content through December 30.
- Intermediate Course: Students will have access to recordings from a recent class only, not a live course. Dotterer is available for one-on-one help as they watch the recordings.
- Cost: The beginner’s course is $400 for PA dairy producers, which includes a $100 discount from the Center for Dairy Excellence. The intermediate course is also $400 for PA dairy producers, which includes the $100 discount.
- How to Sign Up: Pennsylvania dairy producers should visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/spanish-basics to sign up and receive the discount. You will receive details on how to access the course after registering.
Katie Dotterer is a lifelong dairy farmer who received her bachelor’s degree in secondary education, Spanish. She worked as a Spanish teacher in middle and high school for 4+ years, and has worked to develop curriculum and instructed online courses for the dairy industry for two years. She is certified in ESL- English as a Second Language and received the 2008 Employer of the Year (Dotterer Dairy) from The PA Department of Education Migrant Education Program.
Visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/spanish-basics to learn more about the discount and the course, or call 717-346-0849 for more details. Sign up by September 21 to receive the discount.
Visit www.agvokate.com/8-week-spanish-course-2022 to learn more about the course.