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.
Cold-driven spikes in gas prices can quickly raise fertilizer and energy costs.
February 16, 2026 01:00 PM
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Stable small business confidence supports rural economies, but lingering cost pressures and uncertainty continue to shape farm-country decision-making.
February 16, 2026 12:03 PM
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Formally dubbed “Farm Bill 2.0” by committee leadership, the draft surfaces after a high-stakes legislative dance that saw much of the traditional farm bill’s funding, specifically for crop insurance and safety net programs, carved out and passed in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
February 16, 2026 10:51 AM
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Specialty Crops Acreage Reporting Deadline for 2025 is March 13
February 13, 2026 04:12 PM
RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney discusses how AI integration in grocery retail could impact farmers and the broader food supply chain.
February 13, 2026 02:47 PM
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Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller joins us to discuss the cattle herd rebuild, trade concerns, and how ranchers would define “America First” policy priorities.
February 13, 2026 12:50 PM
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Ag Committee Chairman Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson has referred to the proposal as “Farm Bill 2.0.”
February 13, 2026 10:25 AM
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AFBF Economist Samantha Ayoub discusses the latest data on Chapter 12 farm bankruptcy filings and what the troubling trend signals for the farm economy. At the same time, bigger loans and higher rates are squeezing working capital and increasing financial risk.
February 12, 2026 04:26 PM
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Farm legal expert Roger McEowen discusses the EPA’s rescission of the 2009 endangerment finding on greenhouse gases and what it could mean for agriculture and rural America.
February 12, 2026 02:48 PM
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