Dairy groups are focused on labor solutions this year. It is a problem they say has plagued the industry for years and warns is getting worse.
“It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking row crop agriculture or animal agriculture. For decades now, these are not jobs filled by Americans or a domestic workforce. These are jobs that immigrants typically fill, and largely that’s due to the fact that we have an economy that creates more jobs than we have for a domestic workforce,” said Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association.
Naerebout adds a lack of adequate labor is a big reason kids are leaving the farm and not coming back, and he says he has been pushing for what he calls a simple solution for years.
“We’re asking for access to a visa program. We’re asking the existing workers who are here without authorization, do a background check on them, have them pay a penalty, and then give them legal status. If they can pay the penalty and pass a background check and they don’t have a criminal record or even legal status, let them continue to fill the jobs that they’re filling and support our economy.”
The E-Verify system is largely used by employers to check immigration status, and groups say they would happily adopt it once an immigration fix has been found. Representative Dan Newhouse agrees, saying E-Verify would be welcomed, but says there needs to be a legal source of workers to begin with.
Water access—not acreage alone—is driving where irrigation expands or contracts.
December 07, 2025 12:00 PM
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The FAO Food Price Index for November fell by more than 1 percent in November, marking the third straight month of declines.
December 05, 2025 11:54 AM
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“The Expanding Access to Risk Protection (EARP) Final Rule streamlines requirements across multiple crops, responds to producer feedback, and strengthens USDA’s commitment to putting America’s farmers first,” said the USDA.
December 05, 2025 10:49 AM
Rep. Michelle Fischbach shares her appreciation for rural communities and outlines how the Working Families Tax Cut is aimed to support farm families on RFD-TV’s Champions of Rural America.
December 04, 2025 01:31 PM
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Rooster is a full-time farmhand, right-hand man on Shawn Raff’s cattle and dairy operation in Eatonton, Georgia.
December 04, 2025 11:48 AM
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While the 2018 Farm Bill received an extension under the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” Act, the National Pork Producers Council wants lawmakers to do more to support the sector.
December 04, 2025 11:27 AM
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Buying a real Christmas tree directly supports U.S. farmers facing rising import competition, long production cycles, and weather-driven risks.
December 04, 2025 11:02 AM
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Milk output is rising, but steep drops in Class I–IV prices are tightening margins heading into 2026.
December 04, 2025 07:00 AM
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Weaker U.S. dairy prices come as value-added exports expand and ingredient inventories tighten, creating mixed market signals for producers.
December 03, 2025 06:52 PM
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