Brooke Rollins reassures her commitment to labor for dairy farmers

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has been answering questions before the Senate Ag Committee for her confirmation hearing.

Vermont Senator Peter Welch had the chance to ask Rollins a few questions, one of which included adequate labor for dairy farmers. He says the state cannot milk their cows without immigrant labor and wants to make sure whatever decisions are made on the border do not deprive dairy farms access to labor.

“I know there is great concern amongst our ag community on what immigration under President Trump will look like. My commitment to you is this - that understanding the data and understanding the impact of those in the ag community, dairy farms, I think especially, are concerned, but everybody is. Ensuring that we’re working with the nominee over at Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who is from Oregon...I know that these cows need to be milked 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It doesn’t go away. If there’s no one to milk them, then that’s big trouble.”

Related Stories
USDA’s steady yields and heavy global stocks keep grains range-bound unless demand firms or South American weather becomes a real threat.
As economic pressures continue to squeeze agriculture, ag lenders are signaling a more cautious outlook for farm profitability heading into next year, particularly among grain producers facing lower commodity prices and higher operating costs.
USDA released the November WASDE Report on Friday, the first supply-and-demand estimate to drop since September, just before the 43-day government shutdown.
China’s cost advantage with Brazilian soybeans and vague public messaging leave U.S. export prospects uncertain heading into winter.
Expanded aerial capacity strengthens the U.S.–Mexico buffer against screwworm, providing cattle producers with stronger protection heading into winter and reducing risk to herds along the southern tier.
The facility will increase the range of sterile fly release and bolster preparedness for New World Screwworm.

Agriculture Shows
From soil to harvest. Top Crop is an all-new series about four of the best farmers in the world—Dan Luepkes, of Oregan, Illinois; Cory Atley, of Cedarville, Ohio; Shelby Fite, of Jackson Center, Ohio; Russell Hedrick, of Hickory, North Carolina—reveals what it takes for them to make a profitable crop. It all starts with good soil, patience, and a strong planter setup.
Champions of Rural America is a half-hour dive into the legislative priorities for Rural America. Join us as we interview members of the Congressional Western Caucus to learn about efforts in Washington to preserve agriculture and tackles the most important topics in the ag industry on Champions of Rural America!
Featuring members of Congress, federal and state officials, ag and food leaders, farmers, and roundtable panelists for debates and discussions.
The goal of “Where the Food Comes From” is as simple as its name implies — host Chip Carter takes you along on the journey of where our food comes from — and we don’t just mean to the supermarket (though that’s part of the big picture!). But beyond where it comes from, how it gets there, and all the links in the chain that make that happen.
Join markets specialist Scott Shellady, better known as the Cow Guy, as he covers the market-close, breaking down headlines that drive the commodities and equities markets with commentary from respected industry heavyweights.