Credit: Kevin Janni
Dairy farmers may soon have a new option for hiring workers after the Trump administration announced guidance allowing dairy operations to access the H-2A visa program if they can demonstrate a temporary or seasonal labor need. Previously, most dairy farms were excluded from H-2A because milk production requires year-round labor.
Under the new guidance, applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis using the same standards applied to other H-2A employers.
Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative in Green Bay, Wisconsin, welcomed the change, calling it an important step toward addressing long-standing workforce shortages on dairy farms.
“As a dairy farmer, this move is an encouraging milestone to have access to a visa program and address our labor force needs,” said Heidi Fischer, the president of Edge Cooperative. Fischer said reliable labor is critical to food production and urged Congress to continue pursuing permanent workforce reforms for the dairy industry.
NAFB news service
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