Tag: farm labor

Taking Stock and Gearing Up for What’s Ahead

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

Editor’s Note: This column is adapted from remarks given Oct. 20 at NMPF’s annual meeting.

 

Over the past year, the dairy industry has faced a wave of challenges from Washington, state capitals, and markets around the world. Last month at our annual meeting in Kissimmee, FL, I talked about some of the big wins NMPF has shepherded for dairy in 2026, and I shared a few of my thoughts on what’s to come.

The theme of the annual meeting this year was “Committed. Resilient. Ready.” and I think that really sums this industry up beautifully. To be totally honest, it’s been a pretty darn stressful year in Washington. But time and time again, this industry has shown up and proven its commitment, its resilience, and its readiness for whatever comes next.

Right now, we’re advocating on dairy’s behalf on a number of key topics including labor, the farm bill, nutrition and trade.

The last time we talked about meaningful agricultural labor reform and actually accomplished it in the United States was in 1986, 40 years ago. Spend five minutes with any dairy farmer in this country, and you’ll hear why reform is long overdue. As we’ve said for years, dairy does not have a seasonal labor problem; we have a year-round workforce problem. Our farms operate 365 days a year, yet we have never had a visa program built for their needs. Over the past year, however, that message has gained traction in the halls of Congress and with the administration. We’ve worked with Chairman GT Thompson and the House Ag Committee. His bill, the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act, is one of the strongest we’ve seen on this issue and marks a major step forward. Together, these efforts have helped shift the conversation in Washington: more offices on Capitol Hill than ever before understand that dairy farmers need a year-round workforce, not just seasonal labor. That growing understanding is real progress, but it is only the beginning. We still have a long way to go, and we won’t stop until dairies across the country can find and keep a legal, stable workforce.

We are also as close as we’ve ever been in recent years to passing a new, comprehensive farm bill with significant wins for dairy. While we secured important wins to dairy programs, such as Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, challenging market conditions have many producers wondering whether our risk management tools are keeping up. To that end, the NMPF board came together in Florida to support a package of improvements to both DMC and Dairy Revenue Protection as the House and Senate try to negotiate a farm bill in the final weeks of 119th Congress. NMPF is already hard at work trying to secure these improvements before the end of the year.

The issue of nutrition — the dietary guidelines, the broader debate about what goes on the American plate, defining “ultra-processed foods” — has taken a life of its own in Washington. We’ve been pushing everything we can think of from whole milk, defending flavored milk in schools, you name it, making the science-backed case that dairy is one of the most nutrient dense, accessible, and affordable foods that families have.

It’s been a very active couple of years on the trade front. We’ve been engaged in the USMCA joint review process since its beginning in July, working on Mexico and Canada to get them to live up to the commitments that they’ve made, especially Canada on their tariff rate quotas. Canada’s our second biggest market. It’s very important for us. We value this relationship, and I’m confident we’ll sort this out. Through August, U.S. dairy exports are up 12 percent, and if we can keep up this pace, we could set a record at $10.6 billion. Alongside the U.S. Dairy Export Council, we keep pushing to open new markets and defend the ones we have because, for a lot of our members, export markets aren’t just nice to have anymore; they’re essential.

NMPF also built out its state issues advocacy this year and tapped into state networks more than ever before to help address issues that may not have reached the federal level yet but still have major effects on our members.

The dairy industry has been tremendously committed and resilient, chipping away at these issues to make the future of dairy stronger. And we’re ready to adapt to the moment so our progress can continue.

The midterm election will result in a minimum of 83 new members of Congress next year out of the 435 House members and 100 senators. This nearly historic level of turnover will bring an immense challenge on Capitol Hill next year as we get to know all of these new members and their staff and find the ones who will work with us to advance not just dairy, but all of agriculture. It sure seems like it gets more difficult with each passing year to find staffers that understand the basic realities of dairy farming.

It is going to take all of us to deal with this. And my message is very simple: We will work with anyone we can find that is willing to pick up the mantle for dairy, regardless of what side of that aisle they are on. The issues we’re tackling are bigger than party politics.

The future of the dairy industry and its leadership is bright because we put in the time and effort in terms of staff in Washington to get these things done. We’ve had great success in Washington; we know what it takes to win, and that’s what makes this industry special.

Tomorrow’s election will bring about monumental levels of change, but we remain committed, resilient, and ready to advocate for you.

Gregg Doud

President & CEO, NMPF

 

NMPF’s Bjerga on Why Congress Must Pass Whole Milk Law

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

 

NMPF Executive Vice President Alan Bjerga discusses the importance of Congress passing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act and NMPF’s grassroots advocacy on the issue in an interview with WEKZ radio in Janesville, WI. Bjerga also explains the advantages of getting whole milk back in schools via Congress rather than through updated dietary guidelines expected next year in which fuller-fat dairy is also expected to fare well, in a conversation that touches on the importance of congressional action on other issues important to dairy, including farm labor and trade.

In Washington, Change is a Challenge

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

As the initial flurry of activity in the new administration and Congress moves into the heat of summer in Washington, the challenges and fault lines that come with addressing major issues including labor, trade and taxes are becoming increasingly clear.  

This should come as a surprise to no one.  

To put it plainly, change is difficult. Movement on issues that have seen decades of gridlock and tinkering along the edges because of a lack of political will are especially hard. This isn’t a secret, and the turbulence agriculture policy is seeing is likely to continue for some time. While that’s occurring, it will be important for everyone in dairy and agriculture to remain focused on advancing our industry and ensuring that we embrace the current environment for its opportunities while remaining vigilant among its threats.  

Take labor, for example. The balance between the administration’s goals of ensuring border security and deporting people who are not legally residing in the United States with ensuring the economic health of rural communities by maintaining an adequate workforce for farms is clearly recognized by the president and by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. We are grateful for the president’s sympathy for farmers and the secretary’s work on their behalf — still, but more importantly, his continued willingness to tackle complex policy topics that have languished for decades. 

That’s why we agree with Jim Boyle, the vice-chairman of NMPF member co-op the United Dairymen of Arizona who we recently profiled in our Farmer Focus feature series. “The president is right about securing the border, but any enforcement action needs to go hand-in-hand with a labor reform package,” he said.  

We continue to work for either a change to the current H2-A farmworker visa that will accommodate dairy’s year-round nature or, in the absence of that, a new guestworker program that meets dairy’s needs. In the meantime, dairy farmers who are meeting requirements for worker documentation shouldn’t be living with worries about immigration raids on their farms. It isn’t good to have open borders and criminals crossing over it. But it’s also not good for dairy farmers, or rural communities, to be deprived of hard-working, law-abiding labor that’s paid well and willing to do work native-born Americans have always been less willing to do, caring for animals around the clock and ensuring a steady supply of nutritious dairy products for Americans and the world.  

Similarly, efforts to dramatically reset trade relationships worldwide are inevitably meeting challenges. But for all the concern over tariffs, it’s also important to remember that, through April, the value of U.S. dairy exports in 2025 is actually higher than it was the previous year. While no one is claiming that everything is roses on the trade front, it’s critical to remember that U.S. dairy continues to compete successfully and build relationships with global partners amid the day-to-day noise of headlines.  

And finally, policy advancements are happening domestically. The Senate is poised to pass its own version of The Big, Beautiful Bill that the House approved in May. The differences between the two chambers are significant, and negotiations over details may take maddeningly long. But with major tax increases looming in 2026 if Congress doesn’t get its work done in time, the incentives to complete a package are overwhelming. And both versions contain significant wins for dairy farmers, from the extension of the Dairy Margin Coverage Program through 2031 to making permanent the Section 199(A) tax deduction that helps cooperatives stay competitive.  

Rome wasn’t built in a day, decades of unfair trade policies won’t evaporate overnight, and farm-labor issues that haven’t been taken seriously since the last major legislation in 1986 won’t be solved in one growing season. But dairy will survive, and can thrive, as these critical questions gain serious attention and a genuine desire for answers. We are in for a hot summer and a challenging fall. But we can, and will, come out ahead.  

Gregg Doud

President & CEO, NMPF

 

NMPF’s Bleiberg Assesses Latest Developments in Immigration Policy on Dairy Radio Now

Posted on by Chris Galen

NMPF Executive Vice President Paul Bleiberg explains for listeners of Dairy Radio Now what to make of conflicting statements issued in the past week by Trump Administration officials regarding how the federal government will enforce immigration laws on farms and agricultural businesses.

FARM Program Updates Animal Care Standards

Posted on by Chris Galen

NMPF’s Senior Director of FARM Animal Care, Beverly Hampton Phifer, tells Dairy Radio Now listeners about the series of changes being implemented this summer to the FARM Animal Care program.  The program is now initiating its 5th version, featuring updates to its standards that reflect best practices for dairy cattle.  The FARM program is also updating its newer, voluntary environmental and farm worker programs as those areas continues to draw attention from customer and consumers.

NMPF’s Bleiberg discusses new congressional report on need for farm labor

Posted on by Chris Galen

NMPF’s Executive Vice President Paul Bleiberg joins Dairy Radio Now this week to assess the impact of a new report from the House Agriculture Committee on the need that dairy farms and other ag employers have for farm workers, and what the prospects are for the push to expand the H2A visa program to dairy employers.

FARM provides insights on labor laws

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

Keeping up with changes to state and federal labor laws can be daunting. However, given the tight labor markets, dairy farms must redouble efforts to attract and retain employees.

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Workforce Development program offers free resources. These include state and federal legal fact sheets as well as human resource (HR) and safety templates to help dairy owners and managers increase worker engagement, reduce employee turnover, and manage safety hazards associated with dairy farming.

As part of its programming, FARM Workforce Development hosts quarterly educational webinars for program evaluators — the individuals who conduct on-farm assessments and support farmers with continuous improvement. For this year’s first webinar, Dan Deacon of Conn Maciel Carey LLP highlighted recent and potential upcoming changes to federal labor laws, including independent contractor definitions, overtime and wage rules, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. While FARM’s on-farm assessment tool does not evaluate legal compliance, understanding the legal and regulatory context is essential for advancing adoption of HR and safety best practices.

The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor issued a proposed update to the Employee vs. Independent Contractor classification in October — restoring the “totality of the circumstances” analysis to determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act. A final rule would limit when a worker may be properly classified as an independent contractor and may be subject to legal action. The Wage and Hour Division is currently reviewing feedback from their public comment period and will provide next steps in the coming months.

The Wage and Hour Division has also held industry stakeholder listening sessions regarding overtime regulations and indicated it will issue a proposed rule to update the salary exemption threshold this year. It is not clear at this time whether the division is also exploring further updates to overtime regulations.

In January 2023, OSHA issued enforcement memos to field offices and state plans that significantly expand the potential for higher fines issued to employers for safety and health violations. One memo expands the circumstances for instance-by-instance citations, while the other reiterates OSHA’s discretion to limit the grouping of citations. OSHA also initiated a rulemaking in January 2023 for the Worker Walkaround Representative Designation Process, which would allow union representatives to participate in OSHA inspections at non-union workplaces, at the request of employees, and be more involved in the OSHA process. Prior to those actions, in March 2022, OSHA also issued a proposed rule to expand the e-recordkeeping requirements planned to be implemented this year, which would require certain high hazard employers to submit OSHA 300, 301, and 300A data to OSHA on an annual basis.

FARM Workforce Development supports dairy farmers in identifying and implementing HR and safety best practices to enhance safe and thriving work environments. Dairy cooperatives and processors representing 60% of the U.S. milk supply participate in the initiative. More than 400 assessments have been completed across 23 states. Visit FARM’s website for FARM Workforce Development resources, including federal and state legal fact sheets.

NMPF’s Mulhern Speaks at Annual Meeting

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

 

NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern speaks at the organization’s annual meeting in Las Vegas, NV on Nov. 16.

NMPF’s Bjerga on COVID Community Corps

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

NMPF’s Senior Vice President for Communications, Alan Bjerga, discusses dairy’s leadership in getting farmers and farmworkers vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as NMPF’s membership in the federally led COVID Community Corps, in audio from an interview with RFD-TV.