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 Spanish-speaking employees, the Center for Dairy Excellence is once again offering $100 discounts to Pennsylvania dairy producers who sign up for Katie Dotterer’s “Spanish for Agriculture” (Dairy Beginners or Intermediate) online course this spring.
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, for the intermediate level, from April 11 to June 1, 2023. All classes are recorded and readily accessible to accommodate dairy producers’ schedules. The Spanish for Agriculture Dairy/Ag Beginners Course will also be available this spring with previously recorded live classes that still provide student engagement and are available 24/7 for individuals who sign up for the course. Students will have direct access to Dotterer, their instructor, to answer any questions and receive clarification.
Thanks to a grant from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC), dairy producers from any state can sign up to receive $100 off the cost of registration and access to 16 online, interactive classes along with all the resources the instructor provides. The $100 discount is available for both the beginners and intermediate course.
“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 “Spanish for Agriculture” Intermediate 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: April 11 – June 1, 2023
- Class Time: Spanish for Dairy/Ag Intermediate Course will be live and recorded as well. Live classes will be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST from April 11 to June 1.
Spanish for Agriculture Dairy/Ag Beginners Course will be recent previously recorded live classes that still provide student engagement and are available 24/7 to individuals who register for the course. Students will also have direct access to Dotterer, their instructor, to answer any questions and receive clarification.
- Cost: The course is $400 for dairy producers, which includes a $100 discount from the Center for Dairy Excellence.
- How to Sign Up: 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 degrees in business management and 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 five 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 no later than April 7 to receive the discount.
Visit www.agvokate.com/8-week-spanish-course-2022 to learn more about the course.