The conversation surrounding mass deportation has sparked widespread debate across various sectors of the American economy. Jenni Tilton-Flood, a dedicated Maine dairy farmer, passionately voices her opposition to such measures. In her words, “This isn’t just about my family farm and our farm businesses across the US. This is about economic stability, food security, which is national security, and it is about the future of America.”
The Heart of a Dairy Farm
At Flood Brothers Farm, LLC, located in Clinton, Maine, Jenni and her family milk 1,700 cows. The reality of immigration impacts them directly, as it does much of the dairy community in Maine which is comprised primarily of small to medium sized farms. Experts have warned that the implementation of President-elect Trump’s proposed mass deportation plan could drastically reduce the U.S. agricultural labor force by nearly 50%, posing a grave threat to the dairy sector and other farming industries.
A report from the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) reveals that immigrant workers account for 51% of all dairy labor. Moreover, dairies that employ immigrant laborers produce a staggering 79% of the U.S. milk supply. Dr. Robert Hagevoort of New Mexico State University, speaking at the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) Annual Meetings last week in Arlington, Texas, says he believes the true percentage may be even higher, as the NMPF report goes back to 2015.
“Dairy herd sizes have grown considerably and so have the number of employees on the farm,” he says.
A Dependable Workforce
Family dairy farms like Tilton-Flood’s rely on workers from within the U.S. and abroad to ensure they can provide for consumers worldwide. Tilton-Flood shares that she is eager to collaborate with the new administration to enhance national security through the work of farmers. This involves producing sustainable nutrition and ensuring the protection and growth of their diverse workforce, comprised of both newer and long-standing contributors.
NMPF advocates for agricultural labor reform to grant permanent legal status to current workers and their families, while also providing dairy farmers access to a viable guest worker program.
The Need for Legislative Reform
Dairy farmers consistently face a shortage of domestic workers akin to challenges experienced across the entire agricultural sector. Unfortunately, current policies prevent them from utilizing the H-2A farmworker program, which only caters to seasonal labor needs, as opposed to the year-round demands of dairy farming. Without a dependable workforce, dairy farms cannot hope to survive, much less prosper.
If the U.S. dairy industry were to lose its foreign-born workforce, Tilton-Flood warns it would likely result in a doubling of retail milk prices and inflict economic losses exceeding $32 billion on the U.S. economy as a whole.
“We know we need to come together to voice our needs and help shape policies that support a reliable, skilled workforce,” she says.
Jaime Castaneda, executive vice president, policy development & strategy at NMPF says, “Foreign workers are important to the success of U.S. dairy, and we will work closely with members of Congress and federal officials to show the importance of foreign workers to the dairy industry and farm communities. Speculation on hypothetical policy scenarios is just that – speculation – and is of limited value.”
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