Labor News

How TN Visas are Changing Who Gets Hired to Lead Dairy Farms

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 17:33:46 GMT

Finding qualified employees remains one of the biggest challenges on dairy farms today. While most labor discussions focus on filling entry-level positions, some producers are searching for something different: experienced employees who can lead teams, manage specialized programs and help develop the next generation of workers.

For those roles, a growing number of dairies are exploring the TN visa program.

During a recent Cornell University Ag Workforce Central Office Hour, dairy producer Shane St. Cyr, TN visa specialist Jenny Everson and workforce expert Richard Stup discussed how farms are using the program to recruit herd managers, reproductive specialists, calf managers and other skilled professionals.

While TN visas are not a fit for every labor need, they can help dairies add technical expertise and leadership in hard-to-fill positions.

What is a TN Visa?

Visa stamp by Canva.com

(Canva.com)

The TN visa was established through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), now known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). It allows qualified citizens of Mexico and Canada to work in the U.S. in approved professional occupations.

“It allows temporary entry into the U.S. to engage in business activities at a professional level,” says Richard Stup, director of Cornell University’s Agricultural Workforce Development Program. “To qualify, the position must be a professional role, and the applicant must have the education and training needed to perform the job.”

On dairy farms, qualifying positions often include herd managers, assistant herd managers, reproductive managers, maternity managers, calf care specialists, feeding technicians, agronomy specialists and other supervisory roles.

“The basic overview of the TN visa is that it allows U.S. employers to employ educated professionals, typically from Mexico,” says Jenny Everson of Agri Placement Services. “Anything above the entry level, more of a management-type position, can potentially fit within the program.”

Why Some Dairies are Turning to TN Visas for Skilled Hires

(Trey Cambern)

Labor shortages continue to affect dairy farms of all sizes. For management and technical positions, the pool of qualified candidates can be especially limited.

At Adirondack Farms in northern New York, TN employees have filled several management positions.

“We’ve utilized them in managerial roles, from herd management and repro positions to calf and heifer managers,” St. Cyr says.

St. Cyr views TN hiring as one part of a larger recruitment strategy.

“We’re always looking for good ways to source top-quality talent,” he says. “We run an internship program, we post jobs on our website and Facebook, and we use TN visas. It’s an all-in approach to finding good employees.”

The benefits have extended beyond filling open positions.

“One of the benefits is not all of our employees have that higher education level that a TN visa does, and it allows our other employees to see what’s possible and gives them something to strive for,” St. Cyr says.

What the Hiring Process Looks Like

(Photo: Mediaphotos, Adobe Stock)

While some producers assume visa programs involve overwhelming paperwork, Everson says experienced partners can guide farms through much of the process.

The process begins with defining the position, including responsibilities, compensation, schedule and level of authority. From there, candidates are recruited, screened and interviewed.

“I recruit for a specific position,” Everson says. “I select the top candidates, then present them to the farmer. They can interview all of them or choose which candidates they’re interested in.”

Once a candidate is selected, immigration attorneys prepare the required paperwork and petitions.

If the candidate is already in the U.S., the process involves a change-of-employer filing. If the candidate is in Mexico, they complete a consular interview as part of the application process.

Timing Plays a Role in Planning Hires

Unlike filling an open position through traditional hiring channels, bringing in a TN employee can take several months from start to finish.

Everson estimates the interview and selection process often takes about one month, followed by another one to two months for preparing the case and supporting documentation. Government processing can take three to four additional months, although premium processing can significantly shorten the timeline.

Because of those timelines, TN hiring works best when farms are thinking ahead about future staffing needs rather than reacting to an unexpected vacancy. Producers who know a key employee is nearing retirement, moving into a new role or leaving the operation may benefit from starting the process well before the position opens.

For producers hoping to fill a position quickly, waiting until the job is vacant may be too late. Instead, the program is often most effective as part of a long-term workforce strategy aimed at building leadership and technical expertise within the dairy.

How Much Does a TN Visa Hire Cost?

Costs vary by case, but farms should plan for recruitment, legal services and government filing fees, with timing playing a big role in where you land in the range.

On the government side, Everson outlines several fixed pieces for candidates already in the U.S.:

“The I‑129 filing fee is typically $500 to $1,000 depending on how many employees are employed at that business. Also, they have an asylum fee of $600 for 25‑plus employees, or $300 if you have less than 25. There is also the optional premium processing fee, which is $2,805, but it really moves the process along.”

Everson notes the standard processing for a TN petition typically runs about three to four months. Premium processing adds a $2,805 charge but can bring a decision in roughly 15 business days. That timing choice directly affects what a farm spends overall.

“When a farmer needs help, they usually need them as soon as possible,” Everson says. “If they are able to wait and not have to invest in the premium processing, the price would be on the lower end of that scale. But with the premium processing, it can be higher.

For workers coming directly from Mexico, the structure looks a little different.

“If you’re getting a candidate directly from Mexico, the only additional fee above the agency fees would be the optional emergency filing fee,” Everson says, adding some candidates may also need help with travel costs, which gets to be quite expensive for them to take care of on their own.

On top of government fees, farms should factor in agency and law firm fees, which vary by provider, plus whatever compensation package they put around the role — wages, housing, insurance, vehicles or other benefits.

Everson emphasizes this is not designed as a low-cost hiring path, but he says the structure and support behind it can make the investment worthwhile .

“TN visas are investments, but they’re certainly an investment worth making,” she says. “They really bring quality individuals to the farm.”

St. Cyr encourages producers to look past the initial sticker shock and think in terms of long‑term value.

“It may seem expensive, but when you really vet the right people and you get the right people here, the benefits we’ve seen outweigh the costs,” he says.

Get the Job Description Right

(Lori Hays Illustration)

A strong job description is one of the most important pieces of a successful application. Everson says the position must accurately reflect professional responsibilities and align with the candidate’s education and training.

“Building a strong job description is very important to having a successful outcome,” she says.

Her team frequently works with farms to refine job descriptions and support letters before filing paperwork.

Stup cautions producers against trying to fit positions into the program if they do not meet the requirements.

“You can’t use this to hire someone that doesn’t have qualifications,” he says. “They will be looking at the job description and the qualifications of the applicant.”

St. Cyr agrees.

“That support letter needs to be well written, complete and thorough,” he says.

Support Employees and Their Families

Unlike some other visa programs, TN visas allow spouses and children under the age of 21 to accompany employees on dependent visas. Children can attend school in the U.S., although spouses cannot work unless they qualify independently for a TN visa.

Housing is not a requirement under the program, but many farms choose to provide it.

“The families we’ve had here, we made the decision to provide housing,” St. Cyr says. “They’ve become members of the community, their kids go to school and we enjoy having them here.”

Everson encourages farms to think beyond the job itself and help employees become connected within the community.

“I like to make sure they’re informed about the community and what amenities are available so they can integrate themselves better as well,” she says.

Culture Still Drives Success

(Canva)

Strong farm culture still plays a role in how well teams perform, especially as farms bring together employees with different backgrounds, education levels and areas of expertise. When expectations are clear and communication flows both directions, teams tend to adapt more easily and build stronger working relationships over time.

For St. Cyr, success often comes down to attitude and a willingness to learn from one another.

“Find someone with the heart of a teacher,” he says. “Someone who is willing to share what they know while also learning from the people around them.”

Everson agrees long-term retention is closely tied to how people experience the workplace day-to-day. Compensation plays a role, but it is rarely the only factor influencing whether employees stay and grow within an operation.

“There will always be jobs that pay more, but it often comes down to the culture, how people are treated and how they feel in the workplace,” she says.

On many farms, culture shows up in the details, from how employees are trained and supported to how leadership responds to questions, mistakes and new ideas. Operations that prioritize collaboration and respect tend to create an environment where employees are more likely to stay engaged and take on additional responsibility.

What Dairy Producers Should Know

(Farm Journal, Inc.)

For producers considering TN visas, Everson and St. Cyr offer several practical takeaways:

Focus on filling professional-level positions that require specialized training, education and management responsibility rather than entry-level roles.
Build detailed job descriptions that align with responsibilities and educational requirements.
Budget for recruitment, legal and government filing costs.
Build hiring timelines months in advance.
Look for candidates who enjoy teaching and collaborating with coworkers.
Help employees and their families become part of the local community.

Stup says TN visas are likely to remain a specialized workforce tool rather than a broad labor solution for agriculture, given the program’s focus on professional roles that require specific education and training.

“Because it is very specific and limited to people with higher education and training, I don’t expect it to become some huge source of labor for U.S. agriculture,” he says. “But as farms become more professional and more highly skilled, there’s going to be more need for highly skilled and trained individuals.”

For dairies looking to strengthen management teams, develop employees and add technical expertise, TN visas may offer another avenue for recruiting talent in an increasingly competitive labor market. For some operations, it becomes a way to build momentum within the team, creating a situation where both the farm and the employee benefit.

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School’s Out, Farm Safety Is In

Thu, 28 May 2026 16:41:53 GMT

School’s out, which means a lot more kids and teenagers will be helping around the farm this summer. For many farm families, summer also brings more hired help onto farms, including teenagers who may not have grown up around livestock, machinery or day-to-day farm work.

While farm kids often become comfortable around equipment and chores at a young age, familiarity can sometimes make people overlook risks. For youth with little agricultural experience, those risks can be even greater. Farms remain busy worksites filled with hazards many other jobs do not have, from large animals and machinery to heat stress and chemical exposure.

The National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety (NCCRAHS) encourages farms to match jobs with a child’s age, experience and physical ability. Tasks adults handle every day can quickly become dangerous when youth take on work beyond their skill level.

The following safety reminders can help farms prepare young workers for a safer and more productive summer on the operation.

Supervision and Training

A lot of farm tasks become second nature for adults, which can make it easy to forget how unfamiliar they may feel to younger workers. Whether it’s a child helping after school or a hired teenager spending their first summer on a farm, taking extra time to walk through jobs and explain possible risks can go a long way.

Assign chores appropriate for the youth’s age and ability
Provide adult supervision based on the task and experience level
Demonstrate tasks before youth attempt them
Have youth safely complete a task several times before working alone
Encourage questions when youth are unsure how to handle a situation
Inspect work areas for hazards before work begins

Equipment and Clothing

Equipment and facilities also deserve a close look before youth begin working. Guards, shields and ventilation systems should be working properly, and adults should inspect work areas for hazards beforehand. Loose clothing, untied hair and improper footwear can also increase injury risk around machinery and livestock.

Ensure machinery is mechanically sound with guards and shields in place
Make sure ventilation systems are functioning properly
Require gloves, eye protection, hearing protection, or masks when needed
Avoid loose clothing and drawstrings around equipment
Require non-slip shoes or boots and tied-back hair

Heat and Health Precautions

Long hours in the heat can quickly lead to dehydration or heat exhaustion, especially for younger workers eager to keep up with adults. Having water nearby, scheduling breaks and teaching youth how to recognize warning signs can help prevent dangerous situations.

Keep drinking water close to the work area
Provide regular rest and stretch breaks
Teach youth to recognize heat exhaustion and hypothermia symptoms
Maintain clean handwashing and bathroom facilities
Train youth to clean and sanitize PPE and clothing after work

Animal and High-Risk Tasks

Livestock handling is another area requiring extra attention. Even calm animals can react unpredictably, particularly in stressful situations or unfamiliar environments. Experts recommend reserving work involving aggressive or unpredictable animals for older, experienced individuals.

Keep youth away from dangerous or unpredictable animals
Reserve work involving bulls, boars, or animals with newborns for older youth
Limit ladder and elevated work to older, trained individuals
Keep exceptionally dangerous tasks reserved for adults, including:
- Working in manure pits
- Working around flowing grain
- Using chainsaws
- Handling pesticides or hazardous chemicals

Summer on the farm often creates some of the best memories for kids and teenagers. But while the work can be rewarding and fun, farms are still busy worksites where accidents can happen quickly. Taking extra time to slow down, explain tasks and keep safety top of mind can help make sure summer stays productive, positive, and safe for everyone involved.

Promoting Your Best Worker Isn’t Always the Best Move

Tue, 26 May 2026 17:43:19 GMT

One of the biggest mistakes farm owners can make is assuming their best employee will automatically become their best manager.

The person who can solve problems quickly or outwork everyone else is incredibly valuable. But leading people requires a completely different set of skills than operating machinery or handling day-to-day production tasks.

As farms continue to grow and teams become larger, strong people management becomes even more important. Owners and upper management can’t be everywhere at once, which means middle managers often shape the day-to-day experience employees have on the farm more than anyone else.

That’s where operations can run into trouble.

Many managers are promoted because they are dependable. But once they move into a leadership role, they’re suddenly expected to train employees, communicate clearly, and deal with people problems without much guidance or training.

Today’s farm managers need more than job-specific skills. They also need to know how to communicate with employees, supervise teams, handle workplace issues and solve problems effectively.

What to Look for Before Promoting Someone

The best manager on a farm is not always the most outspoken or experienced employee. In many cases, strong managers are the people who communicate clearly, stay calm under pressure and naturally earn respect from others on the team.

Before promoting someone into management, it helps to step back and look beyond productivity alone:

Do coworkers already go to that person for help?
Can they explain tasks clearly without becoming frustrated?
How do they respond when someone makes a mistake?
Are they willing to listen to feedback themselves?

Those questions often tell you more about leadership ability than how many hours someone works in a week.

A good manager also understands that training employees takes patience. Some highly skilled workers struggle in leadership roles because they become frustrated when others cannot learn as quickly as they did. Teaching requires a different mindset than simply getting the job done yourself.

Managers also need emotional consistency. Farms are stressful environments, especially during planting, harvest, weather delays or labor shortages. Employees pay attention to how leadership responds during those moments.

A manager who creates panic or frustration tends to spread that attitude throughout the crew. A manager who stays steady under pressure usually helps employees stay focused and productive.

Communication is a Learned Skill

A common belief is that people are either naturally good communicators or they are not, and that it’s not really something that can be taught or developed. However, it is a skill that can be taught and improved over time, like any other part of the job.

Managing employees requires a different skill set than managing production, a point emphasized in Cornell Cooperative Extension. Their training for supervisors centers on communication, setting clear expectations, accountability, and handling workplace challenges.

That type of training is often overlooked on farms because communication tends to feel less tangible than production goals or financial benchmarks. But poor communication can create inefficiencies just as easily as poor maintenance or weak protocols.

Managers need to be able to give constructive feedback in a way that doesn’t put employees on the spot, address problems early before frustration builds, and explain the “why” behind decisions instead of simply giving instructions. When employees understand the reasoning behind a process, they are more likely to buy in.

Listening is just as important. Employees often see what’s not working or where improvements can be made, but they tend to stop speaking up if they feel ignored or dismissed. Strong communication has to go both ways.

Training Shouldn’t Stop After Promotion

Training managers shouldn’t stop after promotion. Too often, leadership training ends the moment someone steps into a new role, which can leave them learning through trial and error in real time. That approach often creates frustration for both managers and employees, since leadership skills develop more effectively over time rather than in a single conversation or orientation.

The strongest operations build ongoing support into how they develop managers. Instead of treating training as a one-time event, they continue investing in communication skills, decision-making and people management as part of the role itself.

That may include leadership workshops, regular check-ins with other managers, mentoring from experienced leaders or simply setting aside time to talk through challenges and share what’s working.

The Wrong Manager Can Wear Down a Good Team

Managing employees requires a very different skill set than doing the job itself, and without guidance, even your best employee can struggle when stepping into a leadership role.

Sometimes newly promoted managers run into challenges because leading people requires a different mindset than simply being a strong employee. They may become frustrated when employees work differently than they would or avoid difficult conversations because they are not comfortable addressing problems directly. Over time, those habits can create tension within a crew.

Employees, on the other hand, want consistency. They want to know what is expected of them, how they are performing and whether their work is valued. When communication breaks down, morale usually follows.

That’s why selecting managers should go beyond technical ability and day-to-day performance. Leadership potential deserves just as much attention.

Before anyone is moved into a management role, it helps to think about whether they are ready to guide people, not just complete tasks. That includes how they communicate under pressure, how they respond when issues come up and whether they can build trust with a team over time.

Once someone is in the role, support has to continue. Managers don’t step into leadership fully formed, and most will need time, feedback, and reinforcement as they adjust to the expectations that come with leading others.

The Great Dairy Divide: It’s Time to Stop Counting Cows and Start Being Neighbors

Tue, 19 May 2026 12:35:05 GMT

The pre-dawn light over a dairy farm carries a specific kind of stillness, regardless of whether that farm milks 40 cows or 4,000. It is a quietude broken only by the rhythmic pulsing of vacuum lines and the soft shuffle of hooves on concrete. In those early hours, the mission is singular: Harvest a wholesome, nutrient-dense product to feed a world that often forgets where its breakfast comes from.

Yet, as the sun rises and the morning chores give way to the heat of the day, a different kind of noise begins to rise. It isn’t the sound of machinery or livestock; it is the sound of a house divided.

In the coffee shops, at the feed mill and across the digital expanse of social media, a fracture has formed in the dairy industry. It is a divide that threatens to overshadow the very heritage we claim to protect. At the heart of this tension lies a single, polarizing word: labor.

The Line in the Sand

On one side of the fence stands the producer who views their team as their greatest asset. To them, the men and women who show up at 3 a.m. to prep udders and push feed are the lifeblood of the operation. These employees are an extension of the farm family, allowing the dairy to scale, to professionalize and to provide a quality of life for the owners that was once thought impossible in this industry.

On the other side stands the producer who cannot fathom why anyone would need anyone outside of family to help to run a dairy. To this group, the family farm is defined by the calloused hands of those who share a last name. They look at the reliance on hired help — particularly immigrant labor — with a skeptical, sometimes biting, eye. You have likely heard the sentiment whispered or perhaps shouted: “If you rely on immigrant labor, then you are milking too many cows.”

This sentence is more than just a critique of management; it is a judgment on the soul of the farm. It suggests that once a dairy grows beyond the physical capacity of a single family, it has somehow lost its way. It suggests expansion is an act of greed rather than a strategy for survival or a path for the next generation to return to the land.

The Neighbor’s New Barn

This division manifests most painfully when a neighbor decides to grow. When the excavators arrive and the frames of a new crossvent barn rise against the horizon, the reaction from the community is often not one of celebration, but of resentment.

“There they go again,” the murmurs say. “What’s wrong with our industry is that people feel like they need to milk thousands of cows.”

But why do we view a neighbor’s growth as our own personal loss? Why has the success of one become a grievance for another? We have become so focused on the scale of our neighbor’s dream that we have forgotten the substance of it.

The reality is the dairy industry is not a monolith of “big versus small.” It is a tapestry of family legacies. In the United States, 97% of dairy farms are family-owned and operated. That statistic is staggering, yet we rarely let it sink in. That 10,000-cow dairy down the road? It is owned by a family. Those kids showing Holsteins at the county fair? They come from a family-owned operation, whether they milk 100 cows or 4,000.

Whether the barn is made of weathered wood or state-of-the-art steel, the heartbeat inside is the same. It is the heartbeat of a family trying to navigate a volatile market, unpredictable weather and the crushing weight of responsibility that comes with being a steward of the land.

A Spectrum of Success

If we look closer, we see that our differences are actually our strengths. Our industry is a laboratory of innovation and tradition existing side-by-side.

Some dairies have embraced the futuristic hum of robotic milkers, allowing technology to solve their labor woes. Others find peace in the pit of a parlor, preferring the hands-on connection to every cow. Some have leaned into the beef-on-dairy revolution, turning a strong beef calf market into a reliable profit center. Others have opened their gates to the public, using agritourism to bridge the gap between the sidewalk and the silo.

We see Holsteins, Jerseys and crossbreds. We see intensive grazing and total mixed rations. We see organic and conventional. None of these choices make one farmer more of a dairyman than the other. They are simply different tools used to solve the same puzzle: How do we stay profitable enough to hand this farm to our children in better shape than we found it?

The Common Good

When we turn on each other over the issue of labor or size, we do the work of our critics for them. Those who wish to see the end of animal agriculture do not care if you milk 50 cows or 5,000. They do not care if you use robots or hired hands. They only see an industry they wish to dismantle.

When we judge a neighbor for expanding, we ignore the fact they are likely trying to create a space for a son or daughter to come home. When we criticize a farm for its labor force, we ignore the fact those workers are helping to keep a local economy afloat and a food supply secure.

The bond that holds us together is far stronger than the opinions that pull us apart. We are bonded by the shared commitment to animal welfare. We are bonded by the late nights spent in the maternity pen and the long days in the harvest field. We are bonded by the liquid gold that leaves our farms every day — a product that provides essential nutrition to a growing world.

A Call for Grace

It is time to stop measuring the right way to dairy by the number of head in the barn or the names on the payroll. Instead, let us measure our success by the strength of our community.

Let us be the industry that supports the neighbor putting up the new barn, knowing the courage it takes to invest in the future. Let us be the industry that respects the small producer who chooses to stay small, preserving a way of life that is the bedrock of our culture.

The world is changing, and the pressures on the dairy farmer have never been greater. We cannot afford the luxury of division. We must work for the common good, advocating for policies that protect all of us, regardless of our labor model or our cow numbers.

At the end of the day, when the lights go out in the parlor and the cows are settled in their stalls, we are all just farmers standing on a thin margin of hope. Let’s start acting like neighbors again.

Employee Development is Becoming a Bigger Focus on Farms

Mon, 18 May 2026 20:44:46 GMT

Most dairy producers can probably think of an employee who deserves more recognition than they receive.

Maybe it is the person who always volunteers to stay late, catches problems before they turn into bigger issues or helps hold the rest of the team together during stressful stretches. Producers know those employees are valuable, but with the nonstop pace of running a dairy, showing appreciation or investing extra time into employee development can easily get pushed down the priority list.

But ag workforce specialists say those efforts should not be overlooked.

Research shows employees are more likely to stick around when they feel valued and know the farm is willing to invest in them. On dairy farms, that can be as simple as recognizing someone for doing a good job or giving them the opportunity to attend a conference, or leadership event to build new skills and confidence.

“Strategic engagement is more than simply managing labor,” the article explained. “It is a commitment to building meaningful relationships with the people who power agriculture.”

Investing Beyond the Paycheck

Researchers emphasize that investing in employees does not always mean raising wages or offering bonuses. Sometimes, it means giving employees opportunities they may not otherwise experience.

On dairy farms, that investment can include English classes, equipment training, calf care workshops or trips to dairy conferences and educational meetings.

“Training is not just about improving productivity; it is about investing in people,” says Suzanna Windon, assistant professor of youth and adult leadership at Pennsylvania State University.

For many employees, attending an industry conference or workshop can be a major confidence boost. It allows them to step away from the daily routine and see the broader dairy industry, hear from speakers, ask questions and connect with others doing similar work.

One of those opportunities is the Milk Business Conference, where dairy professionals come together to share ideas, learn from industry leaders and take home practical strategies to apply on the farm. Employees who attend often return with new perspective, stronger confidence and ideas that can be put to work right away.

Producers say those experiences often translate into stronger engagement back home. An employee who attends a calf care session may return with suggestions for improving protocols. Someone who participates in leadership training may become more comfortable helping manage workflows or training newer employees.

There is also opportunity to recognize those employees who go above and beyond through the Employee of Excellence Award, which highlights individuals making a difference in their roles and on their teams.

Windon says employees ranked growth opportunities nearly as high as financial bonuses because those opportunities signaled long-term investment in their future.

For dairy farms trying to improve retention, those opportunities can also help employees envision a future within the operation instead of seeing the role as simply another job.

Including Employees in Conversations

Windon also highlights the importance of involving employees in decisions that directly affect their work.

That may include conversations around scheduling, workflow changes, training priorities or barn procedures. In a study involving H-2A workers, employees reported feeling more respected and more committed to their jobs when they were included in discussions about workplace policies and training opportunities.

On dairy farms, even small efforts such as asking employees for input during meetings or involving them in problem-solving discussions can strengthen buy-in across the team.

Recognition Still Goes a Long Way

While bonuses and incentives remain valuable, Windon says appreciation and communication are just as important.

Thanking employees after a demanding week, recognizing strong performance during meetings or celebrating work anniversaries can improve morale and strengthen loyalty.

“When agricultural workers perceive their efforts as overlooked or undervalued, their level of engagement tends to decline,” Windon says.

With long hours and nonstop schedules, it can be easy to move from one task to the next without slowing down to recognize employees. But consistent appreciation can help employees feel valued for the role they play in the operation.

Building Stronger Teams

Windon notes that communication, respect and employee development all contribute to stronger retention and workplace culture. She adds that many of these strategies do not require major financial investments. Instead, they focus on helping employees feel supported, included and encouraged to grow professionally.

For dairy producers, investing in employees through conferences, workshops and training programs may improve more than day-to-day performance. It can also help build stronger teams and encourage employees to take greater pride in both their work and the future of the operation.

A Place to Work and a Place to Live: How One Dairy Provides Housing for Nearly All of Its Employees

Fri, 15 May 2026 16:50:55 GMT

On dairy farms across the country, the labor challenge no longer stops at hiring. Producers are working to build operations where employees want to stay long term, raise families and create a life in rural communities.

But in some areas, one of the biggest obstacles has become housing. Affordable rentals are scarce and employees willing to work on farms often struggle to find a place to live nearby.

At Brey Cycle Farm in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., employee housing has become part of the long-term business strategy. What started with one farmhouse has grown into a network of homes, apartments and rentals that now house nearly the farm’s entire workforce.

“Providing housing has become a huge part of what we do,” says Moriah Brey, one of the farm’s four owners. “At the end of the day, farming is about people too. If I can help someone build a better life and give their family a safe place to call home, that’s incredibly rewarding for me.”

For the Breys, employee housing has become another part of running the dairy. Alongside managing cows, crops and employees, the family now manages a growing network of homes tied closely to the farm’s workforce.

(Brey Cycle Farm)

More Than a Place to Live

Brey and her family milk 1,500 cows, raise their own youngstock and operate a direct-to-consumer beef business. Along the way, they’ve also built an employee housing program that has become a central part of how the farm operates day to day and supports the people behind it.

“We have about 25 employees and we house 23 of them,” Brey explains. “Thirteen of them live with their families, and then 10 live as individual guys.”

To make that work, the farm owns 11 houses and rents another five. That’s 16 homes to manage alongside everything else the dairy requires.

“We joke that we’ve become a property management company,” Brey says with a laugh. “Honestly, we probably do need to hire someone for it. Managing all the houses and properties has become a big part of what we do.”

But behind the joke is a serious reality. Housing has become a big part of how they support and retain their workforce.

Why They Stepped into Housing

Brey Cycle Farm has had employee housing in some form for nearly two decades. But things really took off when the family began using the TN visa program to bring in workers from Mexico.

“As we started using the TN visa program, one of the requirements is that you provide housing,” Brey says. “That really got things going. We’ve always had one house on the farm that an employee has lived in. But as the farm has grown, the housing has grown with it.”

(Brey Cycle Farm)

Today, many of their employees came through that program, and most arrived alone at first.

“At first, when people come here through the TN visa program, they’re usually arriving on their own,” Brey explains. “In those first few weeks, they typically live in housing near the farm. Once their families join them, each family moves into their own house.”

Brey emphasizes the housing they provide is designed for privacy and stability, not shared living.

“We make sure the housing fits their situation,” she says. “Everyone has their own room, and when families arrive, we move them into a home of their own, whether that’s a house we own or one we rent.”

In Door County, where the farm sits, tourism drives up demand for rentals, and vacancy rates are low, leaving few affordable options close to work.

“Up here, it can be really difficult to find a place to stay,” Brey says. “We’re not close to an urban area, and Door County has about a 1.5% apartment vacancy rate. It’s extremely low, so finding housing is a real challenge and it’s part of why this has become so necessary.”

From Farmhouses to New Housing Options

Over time, the Breys have built a patchwork of housing. One recent addition came together in Sturgeon Bay, where they added a four-plex with four apartments and a shared outdoor space that has quickly become a gathering spot for employee families.

“It’s got four two-bedroom apartments in this really cute building with a big backyard where we’re going to put a swing set,” Brey says. “The group of employees who moved there were just so grateful. There are a few places where people naturally hang out, and this has become one of them. It really feels like a little family there.”

Brey Cycle Farm

(Brey Cycle Farm)

At another property, one employee now lives close enough that his children ride the same school bus as the Brey children.

“We moved this gentleman to a mobile home down the road from us,” Brey says. “So now his kids are on the same bus as my kids, and it’s just so cool.”

For the Breys, each home is more than just a property. It’s tied to the people who help run the farm and the relationships they’ve built over time.

Rent, Utilities and Expectations

Housing on the Brey farm is not free, but it comes at a reduced cost. The goal, Brey says, is to keep housing affordable while still asking employees to take care of where they live.

“We do charge rent, but it’s heavily subsidized,” Brey explains. “If you live as a family, you pay a little more. If you live as an individual, you pay a little less. But it’s still well below what a house would normally cost.”

The farm also covers many of the utilities in most homes, including heat, propane and internet. With that setup, expectations around upkeep become part of the day-to-day conversation. Small things like thermostats, trash and general housekeeping can add up quickly if they are not addressed early.

“Just assuming everyone is going to do things the way you would is not how it works,” Brey says. “Sometimes we go into a house and find the heat turned way up or a smoke detector unplugged.”

To stay ahead of those issues, the farm relies on frequent communication and simple reminders shared with employees to reinforce expectations around upkeep and utilities.

“We started putting reminders in their paychecks to keep things top of mind,” she explains.

(Brey Cycle Farm)

More recently, the farm has also adjusted how they handle some utility costs, including charging employees for a portion of electricity use tied to each home.

“We started charging for a portion of electricity use because it’s something we can track by house,” she says. “Other utilities are harder to separate out, so we still cover those.”

Even with those adjustments, Brey says the goal is not to police employees, but to create a system that is practical and easy to manage for everyone involved.

“These people are very capable,” Brey says. “It’s really just about making the system simple and workable for everyone.”

Spreadsheets, Clipboards and Managing the Homes

Managing 16 homes has added an entirely new layer to the dairy’s operation. Between utilities, maintenance, repairs and communication with employees, housing now requires regular organization and oversight.

“We have this huge spreadsheet,” Brey says. “Every house is different. One has forced air, another has a boiler and another has electric heat. We’re tracking things like smoke detectors, furnace filters, propane deliveries, utility bills and maintenance schedules. When you’re managing that many houses, there’s just a lot to keep organized and stay on top of.”

Much of the coordination happens through the farm office, where employees can report maintenance issues or ask questions about utilities and housing needs. The farm’s leadership team also meets regularly to review housing concerns and stay ahead of repairs and upkeep.

(Lori Hays)

“We meet at least once a month and go through everything,” Brey says. “We try to make sure something is always moving forward with the houses.”

Twice a year, the farm also does more formal walk throughs of the properties to check things like filters, smoke detectors and general maintenance.

“We try to go through every house a couple times a year and double check everything,” she says. “But honestly, we’re involved all the time because people call us whenever something comes up.”

Even with systems in place, Brey admits housing management is still a work in progress.

“I don’t know how we manage it sometimes, to be honest with you,” Brey laughs. “At some point, we’ll probably need someone dedicated to property management. So far, it’s worked, but we’re still figuring out the best way to organize everything.”

Culture, Not Just Housing

Ask Brey why employee turnover is so low, and she talks about relationships and the culture they have built on the farm.

“Culture is our game,” she says. “We try to be really responsive to what people need. They’re like our friends, truly.”

That mindset shapes everything from housing decisions to the way employees settle into life around the farm. Brey says many employees take pride in making the houses feel like home, whether that means planting a garden or raising chickens in the backyard.

“We call it their house, and they call it their house,” Brey says. “When people can really settle in and make it feel like home, that’s important to us.”

Employee Housing

(Lori Hays)

The housing program has also grown alongside the farm’s relationships through the TN visa program. Many employees arrived in the U.S. with agricultural degrees and strong experience working with livestock.

“They all have four-year degrees in an agricultural field,” Brey says. “We have veterinarians by trade working here. They really care about the animals and they care about the farm.”

Over time, many employees have taken on more responsibility throughout the operation, building careers and deeper connections to the dairy along the way. Stories like those are part of why housing feels bigger than just another employee benefit for the Breys.

“A lot of them have stories that most of us could never imagine,” Brey says. “It’s rewarding to know they have a safe place to live and that their families are doing well here.”

Advice for Other Producers

(Brey Cycle Farm)

Not every dairy will be able to provide employee housing on this scale. But as labor remains tight and affordable rural housing stays difficult to find, more farms are starting to think differently about what it takes to support and retain employees long term.

Brey says farms considering employee housing need to understand that it takes time, communication and a willingness to stay involved. Her advice centers on three things:

• Go in knowing it will take time and effort. “There’s pros and cons for sure,” Brey says. “It takes a lot of time, but it’s also a rewarding part of what you do. You can’t expect it to be maintenance free.”

• Treat employees like neighbors, not just workers. “The biggest thing is really getting to know people and their families,” she says. “We know the employees, we know their kids and we know what works best for each family. When you take the time to understand people and what they need, it changes the whole relationship.”

• Communicate expectations early and often. “Just assuming everyone is going to do things the way you would is not how it works,” Brey says. “Having conversations, sending reminders and putting expectations in writing is really important.”

For Brey, the housing program ultimately comes back to relationships and creating stability for the people who help keep the dairy running.

“This whole farm was built on relationships,” Brey says. “Relationships with employees, relationships with the community and relationships with the people who help us every day. That’s what makes everything work.”

She says some of the most rewarding moments come from seeing employees and their families truly settle into life around the farm, whether that means children riding the school bus together, families gathering outside after work or employees taking pride in a place that feels like home.

“If we can keep providing people with a safe and secure place to live, that’s probably all I could ever ask for,” she says. “We’re thankful for the people who work here, and they’ve become a really important part of our lives.”

Why a Stable, Legal Workforce is Our Only Path Forward

Wed, 13 May 2026 13:48:21 GMT

As I’ve traveled across the country this past year, visiting producers from the High Plains to the Northwest, one conversation consistently rises above the rest. It isn’t just about milk prices or component levels — it’s about people. My conclusion is firm: A stable, legal workforce is the only way we keep the “Made in the USA” label on the milk carton.

Food security is national security, and that security starts with the hands that harvest the milk. If our industry cannot secure a permanent, legal solution for our workforce, the domestic supply chain American families rely on is at risk of fracturing.

The 365-Day Harvest Paradox

Federal policy remains stubbornly stuck in a seasonal mindset. Programs like H-2A were built for crops planted in the spring and picked in the fall. However, dairy is in a state of continuous harvest. Cows don’t take a season off and neither can our workers.

A year-round guest worker program is no longer just a lobbyist’s wishlist item; it is a survival requirement. Without a legal framework that recognizes the 24/7 reality of dairy, producers remain in a legal limbo that threatens the foundation of our “Made in the USA” promise.

Fill the Void, Not Just the Tank

Automation is often viewed as a replacement for the human element, but in reality, it is a essential supplement. Technologies like cow-side health sensors, automated gate systems and smart feed pushers are surging because human hands are simply unavailable in many corners of rural America.

We are seeing a fundamental shift in the dairy job description: moving from a world of milkers to a world of managers. Our teams are becoming data analysts and technicians who happen to work in a barn. These systems allow us to keep the lights on, but they still require a skilled, stable and legal team to oversee them.

Culture as a Competitive Advantage

In 2026, a paycheck is no longer enough to win the talent war. Recruitment is expensive, but retention is profitable. The most successful dairies treat labor management with the same scientific rigor they apply to a TMR or a breeding value. If your farm culture is broken, your bottom line will eventually follow. We must move from finding help to building elite teams.

Ultimately, the “Made in the USA” label is a promise of quality and domestic origin. We cannot fulfill that promise without a workforce that is legal, stable and respected. The heartbeat of the dairy isn’t just the cows in the stalls — it’s the people in the parlor. The dairies that will thrive in 2026 and beyond are those that realize our most valuable asset has two legs, not four. It’s time our national policy reflected that reality.

The Empty Stanchion: The Structural Labor Crisis Threatening U.S. Dairy

Mon, 11 May 2026 13:22:48 GMT

In the rolling plains of the Texas Panhandle and the volcanic soils of Idaho’s Magic Valley, a silent crisis is brewing. It isn’t a disease outbreak, a drought or a sudden crash in milk prices. Instead, it is the steady, quiet disappearance of the human hands required to keep the nation’s dairy industry running.

As the U.S. dairy sector has modernized and expanded, it has hit a paradoxical wall: The more technologically advanced the farms become, the more they find themselves tethered to a labor market that is increasingly broken.

For states like Texas and Idaho — two titans of U.S. milk production — the labor shortage is no longer a seasonal inconvenience; it is a structural deficiency that threatens the long-term viability of the industry and the economic health of the rural communities that depend on it.

The Texas Powerhouse Under Pressure

Texas has rapidly ascended the ranks to become a top-tier dairy state. By 2025, the Lone Star State produced a staggering 18 billion pounds of milk from approximately 705,000 cows. This isn’t just about milk in the grocery store; it’s an economic engine that contributes tens of billions of dollars to the state economy and supports over 250,000 direct and indirect jobs.

However, Texas Association of Dairymen Executive Director Darren Turley warns that this engine is running on a dangerously thin workforce.

“The Texas dairy industry has a persistent and growing need for labor because today’s large, modern dairies are labor-intensive businesses that operate every day of the year,” Turley shares in the association’s latest blog.

In the vast rural stretches of Texas, the labor market is exceptionally tight. Recruiting for long-term farm work has become a monumental task. The jobs are physically demanding, and the always-on nature of a dairy — as cows must be milked 365 days a year — clashes with a domestic workforce that increasingly seeks flexibility and climate-controlled environments.

More Than Just Milking

A common misconception is that dairy labor starts and ends in the milking parlor. In reality, the modern dairy is a complex ecosystem of specialized roles. Beyond the milkers, farms require staff for animal care, feeding, manure management, calf rearing and the operation of increasingly sophisticated machinery.

While robotics and automation are often touted as the solution, Turley notes that technology is a tool, not a total replacement.

“While technology, including a growing number of robotic dairies, may help reduce some labor pressure, there always will be a need for human workers,” he says.

When labor is short, the entire system slows down. Cows aren’t fed as precisely, maintenance is deferred and expansion plans are shelved. For a state like Texas, which is built on the premise of growth, a lack of labor acts as a hard ceiling on potential.

The Idaho Alarm: A Math Problem

Further north in Idaho, the situation is perhaps even more acute. Idaho Dairymen’s Association CEO Rick Naerebout paints a stark picture of the math facing the state’s producers.

“The state has 84 Idahoans for every 100 jobs available,” Naerebout says.

The struggle to find domestic workers is best illustrated by a sobering statistic from last year: Out of 7,500 H-2A agricultural jobs advertised in Idaho, only five were taken by Idahoans. The H-2A program requires farmers to advertise to domestic workers first, but the reality is that the local population is either unable or unwilling to fill these roles.

“Ag jobs are tougher to fill because they are physically demanding and often outdoors,” Naerebout notes.

This leaves dairy farmers in a precarious legal and operational position. Because the H-2A visa program is strictly for seasonal work, the dairy industry — which requires year-round, consistent labor — is effectively locked out of a legal pathway to hire the foreign workers they so desperately need.

The Policy Trap and the Economic Cliff

The crux of the issue lies in the disconnect between federal immigration policy and the biological reality of a cow. A dairy cow does not stop producing milk when the season ends. Yet, the only major agricultural visa program available (H-2A) is built on a seasonal model.

Naerebout points to two primary friction points: the lack of a year-round visa and the political volatility surrounding immigration. In Idaho, attempts to implement worker verification systems at the state level failed, but the fear remains. Meanwhile, federal crackdowns on immigration create an environment of uncertainty that discourages workers from entering the sector.

The consequences of failing to fix this immigration issue are not just confined to the farm gate. Naerebout warns of a massive economic multiplier effect.

“If we remove 50% of the workforce, it would induce a recession the size of the 2007 to 2009 recession,” he says.

In Idaho, removing 27,000 workers who are currently without legal status would trigger the loss of an additional 25,000 jobs held by American-born citizens in sectors like construction, hospitality and retail.

Seeking a Federal Fix

The solutions proposed by industry leaders like Naerebout and Turley are pragmatic, yet politically difficult to achieve. There are two primary avenues for relief:

Visa expansion — This involves transitioning the H-2A program or creating a new visa category that accounts for year-round industries like dairy and fresh-pack produce. This would provide a legal, transparent pathway for foreign workers to fill vacancies that domestic workers have rejected.
Legalization of the existing workforce — This involves acknowledging that the current dairy workforce is already largely comprised of immigrant workers who are trained and essential. “Have them go through a background check and pay a penalty, but let them stay,” Naerebout suggests.

The Stakes for the Consumer

Ultimately, the labor crisis on the dairy is a consumer crisis. When labor shortages raise costs and limit production, the price of milk, cheese and butter inevitably climbs. In Texas, where the population is booming, the demand for dairy is higher than ever. If the state’s dairies cannot run at full capacity, the supply chain becomes fragile.

As Turley puts it: The labor need is a structural issue, not a short-term inconvenience.

“Unless labor supply improves through policy changes, better recruitment, automation or all of the above, Texas dairies will continue facing pressure to protect productivity and profitability,” he says.

The American dairy farmer has proven to be incredibly resilient, surviving market crashes and environmental challenges. But you cannot milk a cow with a vacancy. Without a federal resolution to the workforce shortage, the great rebalancing of the dairy industry may not be a matter of prices or protein; it may be a matter of who is left to do the work.

Separating Signal From Noise in a Data-Heavy Dairy

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:22:54 GMT

The beauty and curse of farming in the technological age comes in the form of 0’s and 1’s. There never seems to be an end to the measurables we collect and breakdown on a farm.

As our capabilities grow in terms of systems and software, this mound of data continues to grow.

But how do we know what is important?

Many seasoned herdsmen that I work with often bemoan just how hard it is to train the next generation of farm workers. “They just don’t have cow sense.” “They’re too deep in the numbers, and not the cows.” “Why can’t they just see it?”

What they are describing is a little-known skill they already possess known as Signal to Noise Positivity (SNP). Our seasoned herdsmen have developed an unconscious skill that allows them to differentiate between meaningful information (signal) and irrelevant information (noise). However, they had a significant advantage of developing this skillset during a time when the “noise” or extra irrelevant data was much less overwhelming.

Our farms are full of positive noise and signals that can be valuable in animal management. Feed intakes, milk production, lbs. of solids, rumination, SCC, milk deviation, etc. etc. all represent measures that indicate if things are headed in the right or wrong direction.

However, each of these factors is not important in each situation. Irrelevant noise from time to time causes new decision makers to make incorrect decisions based upon that noise rather than the more meaningful signals.

Taken together Signal and Noise Ratio (SNR) indicates whether positive noise is more or less likely to stick out. A higher SNR, or more meaningful noise vs irrelevant noise, means the decision maker is more likely to ID the important data whereas a low SNR means more confusion in the data.

But on today’s operations it is extremely difficult to learn how to increase a SNR and use it as our data pool, and subsequent noise grows.

For example, your herdsmen today may work a fresh pen and ID a sick cow with the following information; 7 DIM, rapid breathing, temp is 103 on the parlor meter, milk production is down 30 lbs., her ears are droopy, her rumination is down 40%, her eating time is 2%, and her activity is 50% what it was yesterday. These symptoms when taken together could be indicative of 5+ infectious diseases in a fresh cow and can rapidly confuse new workers.

However, an experienced herdsmen knows the most important part of all this noise is the 7 DIM signal which limits the likely diagnosis to only 2 or 3 possibilities. Their unique SNP ability filters the signal from the noise so no matter how much data we pile on top of the signal they can ignore the unimportant noise.

So how can we improve the SNP for new workers?

First, we need to eliminate multitasking. This only adds noise to the scenario and scatters attention. When working sick cows or doing other health tasks, new employees need to focus upon that singular task until deemed to have developed a sufficient SNP.

Second, we need to encourage monitoring of longer-term trends and react less to the hour to hour or day to day fluctuations. Certainly, there are cases that will change hour to hour but when training we need to help employees understand common cases and that cows generally will trend toward “healthy” or “sick” no matter how complex or simple our data collection system is.

Third, we need to expose these individuals to training from others who have advanced SNP skills. Many times, this involves an outside consultant such as your herd veterinarian who can use hands on training and also create SOP programs to help the individual navigate the noise.

Signals of disease are not always strong. However, by reducing noise for new team members we can increase the correct disease diagnosis while still implementing the latest in smart technology.

Seeking the Best in Dairy: Applications Open for the 2026 Milk Business Awards

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:47:26 GMT

Each December, the dairy industry’s most forward-thinking minds gather in the desert for the annual Milk Business Conference. It is a time for high-level networking, deep-dive educational panels and a shared vision of the industry’s future. But among the many highlights of the event, none are as prestigious as the presentation of the Milk Business Awards — a tradition that honors the grit, brilliance and heart of the American dairy producer.

As we look forward to the 2026 Milk Business Conference, held Dec. 9-10 in Scottsdale, Ariz., Farm Journal is officially opening the call for nominations. These awards are designed to identify and celebrate the leaders who aren’t just participating in the industry but are actively redefining it.

Three Pillars of Excellence

The awards are divided into three distinct categories, each representing a vital component of a successful modern dairy:

Leader in Technology Award: This category recognizes operations that have moved past the data silo era to implement cutting-edge technology that improves efficiency, animal welfare and the bottom line.
Young Producer Award: Reserved for producers 35 or younger, this award honors those who excel in their daily operations while serving as tireless advocates for the dairy industry within their communities and ag organizations.
Employee Excellence Award: Success on a dairy is a team sport. This award allows dairies to nominate key employees who represent excellence in their roles and are vital to the operation’s daily success.

A Legacy of Leadership

To understand the caliber of these awards, one only needs to look at the previous winners who have set the bar high. These producers and employees represent the gold standard of the industry:

2025 Winners:

Leader in Technology: McCarty Family Farms (Kansas) – Recognized for their massive 15,000-cow operation driven by data and innovative rotary milking systems.
Young Producer: Wybrand Vander Dussen (Colorado) – Honored for his resilience and leadership in managing a 4,000-cow dairy.
Employee Excellence: Travis Ties (Holdgrafer Dairy, Iowa) – Celebrated for over 25 years of dedication to feed and crop operations.

2024 Winners:

Leader in Technology: GenoSource (Iowa) – A leader in genetic advancement and high-tech parlor efficiency.
Young Producer: Perry Baeten (Wisconsin) – Awarded for his successful expansion and advocacy efforts.
Employee Excellence: Joaquin Vazquez (Vir-Clar Farms, Wisconsin) – Recognized for his instrumental role in team building and herd management.

Apply Today

Winning a Milk Business Award is more than just a title; it is an opportunity to share your story with the national dairy community. Winners receive a free trip for two to the 2026 Milk Business Conference in Scottsdale — a premier destination for industry insight and professional growth.

The deadline to enter is Aug. 1. If you, or someone you know, represents the best of what the dairy industry has to offer, we want to hear about it. For the application details, visit: Awards: MILK Business Conference 2026

When Good Employees Create Hard Decisions

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:41:08 GMT

You notice a good employee starting to show up late a few mornings in a row, or someone who is usually steady seems distracted and not quite themselves. Nothing is clearly wrong, but enough has changed that you know something is going on, and you’re not sure what to do next.

Do you have a conversation with them?
Do you start handing out consequences?
Or is this something more serious that could eventually lead to letting them go?

This is the kind of situation management coach Don Taylor calls an ethical dilemma.

“An ethical dilemma is when you’re trying to make a call between two or more options, and none of them feel clearly right or clearly wrong from an ethics standpoint,” Taylor said during a Professional Dairy Producers podcast.

This is not a black-and-white situation. Taylor notes that when someone clearly crosses the line, the decision is usually straightforward.

“There are some situations where someone clearly crosses the line, and we know right away it’s an immediate termination,” Taylor says. “Those cases are straightforward. That’s not what we’re talking about here.”

More often, these situations involve good employees when something in their life changes and it is not clear what is going on or how to respond. In those moments, farm leaders are balancing two things: supporting the person while protecting the operation.

Recognize When Something is Off

The first step is recognizing you are dealing with an ethical dilemma in the first place. In many cases, it starts with a gut check.

“Sometimes it’s just a gut feeling that something is off. It doesn’t feel right, and it’s not what you expect from that person,” Taylor says. “In those moments, it really tests your judgment and how you handle people.”

When something does not fit normal patterns or expectations, it usually means you need to pause and get more information before making a decision.

Focus on Facts, Not Assumptions

Once a concern is identified, it’s time to gather information. This starts with making sure decisions are not driven by bias or incomplete observations.

“We want to make sure personal blind spots or biases are not getting in the way. The goal is to gather as much accurate information as we can,” Taylor says.

This often means separating what is known from what is assumed and keeping conversations focused on what can be seen or verified, not opinions.

“We’re going to focus on the facts. If someone starts adding opinions, we’ll steer the conversation back to what we actually know,” Taylor says.

Listen Before Deciding

After information is gathered, the next step is to continue the conversation with the employee.

“Tell your employee, ‘I’m just curious, can you share anything else with me about what’s going on? Whatever is going on in your life is affecting your work, and I have an obligation to understand what that is,” Taylor says.

He emphasizes that in many of these situations, there is often more going on than what you see at first. Taking the time to listen helps you understand the full picture. That way, you are making a decision based on what is really happening, not just what it looks like on the surface.

“When we’re actively listening, we are taking ourselves completely out of the equation,” Taylor says. “All that we’re doing is processing information.”

Use Policy as a Guide

After understanding the situation, leaders should review company policies and past practices. Consistency is important, but rigid rules do not always account for real life circumstances.

Taylor cautions against overly strict approaches in areas where situations can vary significantly.

“I’m not a big fan of zero tolerance policies for this exact reason. If it’s zero tolerance, it’s zero tolerance,” Taylor says.

Instead, he recommends building in room for judgment.

“Unique situations should be handled on a case-by-case basis by the owner,” Taylor says.

That flexibility allows leaders to respond fairly while still staying aligned with the operation’s expectations.

Think Through the Options

With the facts and policies in mind, the next step is to step back and look at your options. Taylor refers to this as using “moral imagination.”

“We have to be creative, thinking up alternative options that are based on our core values, that are based on what we feel is simply the best thing to do in this situation,” Taylor says.

In practice, this means not jumping to the first or easiest answer. It might not be as simple as discipline or doing nothing. There may be a middle ground, like adjusting schedules, setting clear expectations, or putting a short-term plan in place while you learn more.

It also means thinking through how each option affects the rest of the team. Will others see the decision as fair? Will it create more work or tension? At the same time, consider what the employee needs and whether the decision gives them a realistic chance to improve.

At the end of the day, you need to pick an option you can stand behind. One that fits how you run your operation and how you expect people to be treated every day.

If You Miss it, Adjust

Not every situation is going to be handled perfectly, and that is part of working through these kinds of decisions. Taylor says what matters is being willing to look back, learn from it and make adjustments going forward.

“We own it. It’s our responsibility. We made the decision we admit that we could have done better,” Taylor says.

In the end, these situations come down to how you lead people day to day. Taking the time to understand what is going on, working through your options and being willing to adjust when needed helps build trust with your team and keeps the operation moving forward.

10 Leadership Habits That Make Employees Want to Stay

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:01:33 GMT

Hiring good employees is only half the battle. Keeping them engaged, motivated and committed to the job often depends on the relationship they have with their employer. Pay matters, but day-to-day interactions, clear communication and trust can have just as much influence on whether employees stay and perform at a high level.

Management and leadership expert Bob Milligan says supervisors who focus on strengthening relationships with their teams often see gains in productivity, motivation and long-term employee retention.

“We focus on improving our relationship and mutual trust with family and friends,” Milligan says. “It is easy to forget that the supervisor-employee relationship is also an interpersonal relationship.”

He outlines 10 practical strategies farm leaders can use to build stronger, more effective workplaces.

1. Practice Active Listening

When people think about communication, they often think about speaking. Milligan says listening is just as important, particularly for employers.

“Active listening means you are listening with all your senses,” he explains. “You are listening to understand both the message that is being delivered and the underlying emotions.”

Because farm leaders hold a position of authority, employees may hesitate to speak openly. Failing to listen can send the message that their input is not valued.

2. Ask Questions

Employees are more likely to share ideas and concerns when they are invited into the conversation.

“The best way to involve them is to ask questions,” Milligan says.

Two simple questions he recommends asking regularly are: ‘What is going well?’ and ‘What could be going better?’

These prompts help employees reflect on their work and provide constructive feedback.

3. Encourage Employees to Share More

Even when employees begin sharing their thoughts, they may stop before fully explaining their perspective.

“To be certain you have everything, ask ‘tell me more’ or another variation ‘and what else,’” Milligan explains. “I have found this question almost always yields additional valuable information.”

This approach signals genuine interest and helps managers better understand the full situation.

4. Circle Back After Important Conversations

After meaningful or emotional discussions, a quick follow-up can reinforce trust.

“In these situations, it is good to circle back in a day or two to check in,” Milligan says.

The purpose isn’t to restart the conversation but to see if the employee has additional thoughts or unresolved concerns.

5. Strengthen Employee Decision-Making

When employees ask how to complete a task, supervisors often provide a quick answer. Milligan suggests using these moments as opportunities for development.

Ask the employee how they would handle the situation.

“You are providing an opportunity to think, which improves decision making,” he says. “The other big advantage is that next time the employee may not have to come to you.”

6. Introduce New Responsibilities in Small Steps

Employees often want to grow in their roles but may hesitate to take on more responsibility because they fear failure.

“Research into human behavior shows that part of human nature is to grow,” Milligan explains.

To reduce that fear, he recommends introducing new responsibilities gradually.

“You cannot get to Z without going through A, B, C, D, E, and F,” he says.

Breaking responsibilities into manageable steps allows employees to build confidence as they develop new skills.

7. Be Transparent About Follow-up

Some supervisors avoid checking in after training or feedback because they worry it will feel like micromanaging. Milligan recommends setting expectations ahead of time.

“To avoid this concern, inform the employee in advance that you will be following up to answer questions or provide anything else they need,” he says.

When employees expect follow-up, it becomes a supportive step rather than unwanted oversight.

8. Set Clear Expectations

Unclear expectations can quickly create frustration and damage trust.

“Think about a time when you were unclear about what was being expected of you,” Milligan says. “I suspect you were frustrated and potentially lost trust with the person not providing clarity.”

Clearly outlining expectations for behavior and performance helps employees understand their roles and responsibilities.

9. Provide Quality Feedback

Effective supervisors use three types of feedback: positive, redirection and negative.

“High quality, specific positive feedback enhances the employee’s confidence and desire to continue to excel,” Milligan explains.

Redirection feedback helps employees learn and improve, while negative feedback should be used sparingly and framed around choices and consequences rather than reprimands.

10. Lead by Example

The final tip focuses on actions rather than words.

“It is crucial that you ‘practice what you preach’ or ‘walk the talk,’” Milligan says.

When leaders fail to follow the same expectations they set for employees, trust erodes quickly. Modeling the behaviors you expect reinforces credibility and strengthens the workplace culture.

Together, these strategies highlight how everyday leadership habits can shape workplace relationships. By listening carefully, communicating clearly and modeling strong behavior, supervisors can create environments where employees feel respected, supported and motivated to perform their best.

The Ticking Clock: How New Overtime Laws are Redefining the U.S. Dairy Farm

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:45:39 GMT

For nearly a century, the rhythm of the U.S. dairy farm was dictated by the cow, not the clock. When the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was signed into law in 1938, it established the 40-hour workweek and the right to overtime pay for the American workforce — with one major exception: agriculture. For decades, the agricultural exemption was a cornerstone of farm economics, reflecting the unpredictable, weather-dependent and biological nature of food production.

But that cornerstone is being dismantled. Over the last decade, a seismic shift in labor law has moved from the statehouses of the West Coast to the heart of the Rockies and the Northeast. The era of the agricultural exception is ending, and for the dairy industry — one that never sleeps — the transition is proving to be a complex, costly and deeply personal challenge.

The California Catalyst: A New Economic Reality

The momentum for change began in earnest in California. In 2016, the passage of Assembly Bill 1066 sent shockwaves through the industry by outlining a phased removal of overtime exemptions for farm workers. By 2022, large employers were required to pay overtime after 40 hours a week, fundamentally altering the cost structure of the nation’s leading dairy state.

For producers like Melvin Medeiros of Layton, Calif., the shift has been a lesson in the limits of efficiency. Medeiros has spent the last several years trying to dial in on operations to mitigate rising costs.

“Our minimum wage is $15, and we’ve got employees that are saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got to make more money,’” Medeiros says.

He notes while the demand for higher wages is understandable in an inflationary environment, the quality of available labor remains a hurdle. For Medeiros, the intervention of the state has added a layer of friction to an already difficult business.

“I do know when legislation gets involved, it turns it into a mess,” he says.

A Wave Across the West and Beyond

As California’s phase-in progressed, other major dairy states followed suit, often spurred by a mix of legislative action and judicial rulings:

Washington State (2021): Following a state Supreme Court ruling that found the dairy overtime exemption unconstitutional, Washington began a phase-in that reached the 40-hour threshold in January 2024.
New York (2022): In a move that mirrored the West Coast, New York began a gradual reduction of its 60-hour threshold, with the ultimate goal of reaching 40 hours by 2032.
Oregon (2022): The state established its own path toward a 40-hour workweek, set to be fully implemented by 2027.

In eastern Washington, fourth-generation dairy farmer Jason Sheehan of J & K Dairy has watched these changes closely. Operating about 45 minutes outside of the Tri-Cities, Sheehan employs 38 full-time workers. Unlike the transient nature of some agricultural sectors, Sheehan’s workforce is a testament to stability; 80% of his staff have been with him for more than three years and more than one-third have tenures spanning a decade or more.

“Yes, we have people that have been with us for a long time,” Sheehan says. “If the pay was an issue with our employees, they would have gone and found work elsewhere.”

Sheehan’s employees typically average 50 to 60 hours a week. For his operation, cutting hours isn’t a simple fix. Cows must be milked, and the work doesn’t stop when a time card hits 40. Like most owner-operators, the Sheehans haven’t reduced their own hours either; they often hit the 40-hour mark by mid-week and keep plowing forward.

“We have to work until the job gets done,” Sheehan says. “That is the farmer’s motto. What we can focus on is continuing to do a good job of taking care of our cows, land, and employees, and deal with the punches as they are thrown at us.”

The Colorado Frontier: A New Level of Complexity

The latest battleground for dairy labor is Colorado. In 2021, the state passed Senate Bill 21-087, the Agricultural Labor Rights and Responsibilities Act. This didn’t just mandate overtime; it fundamentally redefined the legal standing of farmworkers in the state, including the right to organize.

As of 2024, Colorado’s regulations have introduced some of the most specific and tiered thresholds in the country. For dairy operations, the rules are a moving target:

Standard Overtime: Most agricultural employers must pay overtime after 48 hours, though a new threshold of 54 hours per week is slated for January 1, 2027, for certain categories, including dairy.
Daily Protections: Colorado has introduced unique daily rules that go beyond the weekly total. This includes a mandatory half-hour paid break after 12 hours of work and an extra hour of pay (at minimum wage) if a shift exceeds 15 hours.

These nuances are particularly difficult for the always-on nature of dairy. Unlike a crops farmer who can park the tractor when a storm rolls in, a dairy farmer is bound to the biological clock of the herd.

The Three-Way Squeeze

The national trend toward overtime pay has forced dairy producers into a squeeze play, leaving them with three difficult paths:

Absorb the Cost: Producers can pay the overtime, but with dairy margins already razor-thin and milk prices volatile, this often eats directly into the capital needed for farm maintenance and debt service.
Split Shifts: Farmers can attempt to hire more part-time staff to keep everyone under the overtime threshold. However, in an era of historic rural labor shortages, finding double the number of qualified milkers is often an impossibility.
Automate: This is the path of robotic milking. While the capital investment is massive, especially for larger scale operations — many producers see it as the only way to decouple their business from the rising cost and decreasing availability of manual labor.

A Struggle for the Future of Farmland

The labor crisis is happening against a backdrop of shrinking agricultural resources. Colorado, for example, is losing farmland at a staggering rate.

“Colorado is losing farmland faster than any state in the country. With roughly 1.6 million acres lost in just five years ... we must take steps to support our farmers and ranchers,” said Sen. Cleave Simpson, a sponsor of SB26-064.

Legislators like Simpson and Sen. Dylan Roberts (D-Frisco) are attempting to balance these new labor realities with support programs, such as the Agricultural Future Loan Program.

“Farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our state, and in a time of increasing uncertainty, they need our support now more than ever.”

Colorado Senator Dylan Roberts

The End of the Exception

As the dairy industry moves toward a labor model that mirrors manufacturing and industrial sectors, the farmer’s motto of working until the job is done is being tested by the reality of the punch clock. For producers like Medeiros and Sheehan, the goal remains the same: taking care of the land, the animals and the people. But as the legal landscape continues to shift, the cost of that care is higher than it has ever been.

The next decade will likely determine who survives this transition. As labor laws evolve, the U.S. dairy farm is being forced to evolve with them — whether through technology, new management styles or, in some cases, the difficult decision to exit the industry entirely.

Valuable Tips to Build a World-Class Dairy Workforce

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 13:14:24 GMT

In the dairy industry, the conversation around labor has shifted. It is no longer enough to simply find a milker to fill a shift. As dairies grow in scale and complexity, the focus has moved toward organizational development, cultural transformation and the science of human behavior.

At the High Plains Dairy Conference in Amarillo, Texas, in a panel moderated by Ryan DeWit of Twin Circle Dairy, three experts — Jorge Delgado, Jorge M. Estrada, and Tom Wall — shared a blueprint for moving a workforce from basic hiring to high-performance results.

The Foundation of “Why": Relevancy and Understanding

Delgado with Alltech kicked off the discussion by addressing the psychology of the dairy worker. He argues effective training is built on three pillars:

Relevancy
No Anonymity
Measurement

According to Delgado, the most powerful tool in a manager’s arsenal is the answer to one question: “Why do you do what you do?” For the vast majority of dairy workers, the answer is familia. When training is framed as a way to protect the farm’s success — and by extension, the worker’s ability to provide for their family — the relevancy of a milking protocol or a biosecurity measure skyrockets.

Delgado also emphasizes the need for no anonymity. High-performance teams are built when every member participates and feels seen. To move from participation to true understanding, Delgado uses visual and tactile tools, such as 3D models of udders and biological cells, to show workers the unseen impact of their actions. This is supported by modern technology, such as QR-code-based training modules (Knowby) and bilingual on-farm support posters that provide five-step rules for everything from cow movement to calving protocols.

The Systems Approach: Organizational Development

While Delgado focuses on the individual worker, Estrada of Leadership Coaching International takes a large systems view of the dairy. Estrada’s approach to organizational development is a structured, six-month journey designed to move a dairy from its current state to a desired state.

“Organizational transformation isn’t an event; it’s a process,” Estrada notes.

His model begins with a deep needs assessment and a culture/leadership audit. From there, he designs interventions that include on-site practice, dialogic approaches and intensive executive coaching.

The goal is to increase awareness of how behavior impacts the bottom line. By the end of the six-month program, the dairy should see observable changes in behavior and a new culture where leadership and transformation are integrated into the daily routine. Estrada’s message to owners was clear: if you want high-performance results, you must first design an organization capable of producing them.

The Coach’s Playbook: COR-4 and the Results Pyramid

Wall, known as “The Dairy Coach” and founder of PeopleCor, brought the panel home with a focus on the mechanics of management. Wall’s philosophy is centered on the COR-4 model:

Clarify
Communicate
Connect
Recognize

Wall argues many labor problems are actually clarity problems. If an employee doesn’t know exactly what is expected of them, they cannot be held accountable. This led to his results pyramid model.

At the base of the pyramid are the three essentials: clarity, discipline, and accountability. These three foundations support the development of habits. Once the right habits are ingrained in the workforce, the results follow naturally at the top of the pyramid.

Wall’s approach emphasizes that management is a daily discipline. Connect refers to the relationship between the manager and the worker, while recognize ensures high performance is incentivized and rewarded. Without the base of the pyramid — clarity — the habits will be inconsistent, and the results will be mediocre.

The consensus of the panel was that the high performance dairy of the future is one that treats people as its most valuable asset. By combining Delgado’s focus on the why and visual learning, Estrada’s systematic organizational design and Wall’s disciplined management playbook, producers can build a workforce that is not only efficient but deeply resilient.

As DeWit concluded, moving from hiring to high performance requires a shift in mindset. It’s about moving away from managing tasks and toward leading people.

Dairy’s Last Shot: Why Industry Leaders Are Demanding Action on Immigration Reform

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:02:59 GMT

The crisis facing American dairy is not a lack of demand or a failure of technology. It is a crisis of human capital and legislative paralysis. For decades, the dairy industry has functioned on the grit of a workforce that lacks legal status, governed by immigration laws that haven’t seen a significant update since 1986. This isn’t just a political talking point — it is a daily risk for dairy producers who wonder if their teams will show up for the morning milking or if an I-9 audit will suddenly empty their barns.

The Myth of Secrecy

The conversation surrounding agricultural labor has long been muffled by a perceived need for secrecy. However, industry advocates are now pulling back the curtain. The reality is there are no secrets from the federal government. Agencies from Social Security to Homeland Security see the I-9 returns and the tax filings. They know sectors like agriculture, hospitality and construction are the backbone of the economy, and they know the legal status of the people doing the work.

“For the longest time, we thought, ‘Oh, we have this really good secret that we can’t tell anybody,’ and that’s just not true. Homeland Security, Social Security Administration — all these federal agencies know the reality of our workforce and the fact that we struggle to have a workforce that’s got legal status,” Rick Naerbout, CEO of Idaho Dairymen’s Association says.

The “good fight” currently being waged by industry leaders is a battle against public perceptions. There is a profound disconnect between the grocery store shelf and the farm gate. While social media suggests domestic workers or those on social assistance could easily fill these roles, the data tells a different story. In the dairy industry, the work is year-round, physically demanding and essential. It is not a job that can be filled by a temporary or unwilling domestic workforce.

The Dignity Act: A Bridge to Stability

Central to the current push for reform is the Dignity Act. This legislative framework represents a shift away from perfect and toward possible. It acknowledges the industry cannot wait another 40 years for a flawless bill. Instead, it proposes a pragmatic compromise: legal status for existing workers and their families, coupled with a functional visa program to ensure the problem doesn’t replicate itself a decade from now.

“I want us all to say one word that we’re never going to use, and if somebody says it, correct them: This is not amnesty,” says Manuel Cunha Jr., president of the Nisei Farmers League. “These people are going to pay a restitution fee for being here undocumented. We needed them here because Congress has failed to have a guest worker program that works for industries.”

The act introduces the concept of a dignity card — a restitution-based system where workers pay a fee for the right to stay and work legally. It is a rejection of the term “amnesty,” replacing it with a system of earned legal presence. For the worker, it means an end to the fear of racial profiling and the ability to travel home for family emergencies. For the dairy producer, it means the security of a stable, verified workforce that can no longer be dismantled by a single administrative audit.

“We need legal status for the existing workers and their families, so that those who have helped us build our dairies and the industry we have today can stay working in these jobs and keep their families here with them,” Naerbout adds. “And the other is to give us access to a visa program so we don’t end up in the same place ten years from now.”

The Failure of the Domestic Alternative

The argument that American agriculture can be sustained by domestic labor alone has been tested and found wanting. Historical data from California’s “Welfare to Work” initiatives in the late ‘90s showed out of tens of thousands of available domestic workers, only a handful even applied for farm labor, and virtually none stayed past the first few days.

More recent data from the Pacific Northwest reinforces this. Out of 6,000 advertised positions, only two domestic workers were hired, and neither made it to the harvest. The dairy industry is mechanized and modern, but it still requires a level of consistency and dedication the domestic labor market has consistently failed to provide. Automation may be the future, but it is not a solution for the cows that need milking today.

The Political Clock and the One Shot

The window for reform is narrow. With a political landscape heavily influenced by executive action and a doer mentality in the White House, there is a rare, albeit high-stakes, opportunity to move the needle. However, this opportunity is tethered to a ticking clock. If a solution is not reached before the midterm elections, the focus will inevitably shift to the next presidential cycle, where the political appetite for compromise often vanishes.

Advocates are now looking outside the traditional lobbying box, even considering the influence of the sports world — boxing and soccer — to capture the administration’s attention. The goal is to demonstrate immigration reform isn’t just a farmer issue. It is an economic and cultural necessity that touches every restaurant, hotel and household in America.

A Survival Guide for the Modern Dairy

Until the law catches up with reality, dairy producers are forced to navigate a minefield of compliance. The current advice for the industry is strictly pragmatic:

Internal Audits: Producers are being urged to bring in legal counsel to conduct private I-9 audits. Identifying paperwork errors before the government does is the only way to mitigate risk.
Constructive Knowledge: A key piece of advice is to avoid photocopying worker documents. An employer’s obligation is to ensure the documents look real on their face and to record the information. Retaining copies can inadvertently create constructive knowledge of fraud, increasing legal liability.
Warrant Requirements: Farmers must remember that under the 1986 law, authorities must have a federal warrant to enter a farm for cause. Knowing these rights is essential to maintaining order and protecting the workforce from unnecessary panic.

The Path Forward

The struggle for immigration reform in the dairy industry is a long game that has reached a sudden sprint. It requires producers to move beyond their frustration and become politically active, providing cover for representatives to take the difficult votes necessary for change.

“The greatest thing for all of you — growers, men and women and your families — is to protect the workers that are here and give them the dignity they deserve because they made our farms grow. They were there to milk the cows and pick the tomatoes. They were there, and we definitely owe them some type of work authorization,” Cunha Jr. says.

Naerbout adds: “We can’t hold out for our version of perfect. If we hold out for perfect, we’re going to fail. We’re not going to get anything. There has to be that willingness to compromise, and we’re going to have to be willing to accept less than perfect if we actually want a solution to this problem.”

Whether the solution comes through the Dignity Act or an expansion of the H-2A program to include year-round dairy labor, the consensus is clear: the status quo is no longer sustainable. The industry is tired of placeholders. It is time for a statute that recognizes the dignity of the work and the necessity of the worker, ensuring the American dairy industry can continue to milk, move and feed the nation for the next 40 years and beyond.

Getting Ready for Next Season: Using Debriefs to Smooth Out the Rough Spots

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:57:20 GMT

As the pace of winter settles in this is the ideal moment to look back at the season behind you. Not with blame, and not with storytelling that drifts wherever the coffee takes it—but with a structured, practical debrief that helps you shape the year ahead.

Most of the coming year’s headaches are already visible in the rearview mirror. The trick isn’t predicting the future. It’s paying attention to the past in a way that pulls your team into the process and turns those frustrations into system improvements. Debriefs do just that.

A good debrief is simple. Bring in the key employees who actually lived the season—the feeders, breeders, calf team, crop guy, lead milkers. Keep the meeting small enough to encourage honest conversation, but broad enough that you’re hearing from the people closest to the work. Tell them the goal up front: identify the root (underlying) problems from last season so we don’t repeat them this season.

Then ask three questions, and stay disciplined about sticking to them:

What went well that we want to continue?
Too often we skip this part, but it gives people confidence and highlights the things that are actually working.
What didn’t go well?
This is where the real value sits. You’ll hear patterns: communication gaps on weekend shifts, equipment that’s always down at the worst moment, and protocols everyone interprets a little differently.
What needs to change?
Don’t let the meeting drift into long explanations or defenses. Focus on solutions. Small, practical fixes are usually the most powerful—rewriting a protocol so it’s crystal clear, changing how information is passed between shifts, setting a specific time each week for the feeder and herdsman to align.

As you work through the discussion, stay out of the weeds. Look for the root cause, not the symptoms. Your job is not to solve every problem on the spot. Your job is to set the tone: direct, respectful, and focused on improvement rather than pinning the blame. Your best employees often have the solutions so resist the urge and just let them do the talking. Just encourage them and take notes.

When I walk dairies through this process, the turning point usually comes when employees realize you’re not asking these questions “for show” or trying to pin blame. You’re genuinely looking for friction points so the season ahead can run smoother for everyone—cows included.

Before wrapping up, summarize the key issues and assign owners to fix the problem. Not in a punitive way—simply clarifying who will follow up, by when, and with what solution. Ownership is what turns a good meeting into change that actually sticks.

Getting ready for next year doesn’t start in the field. It starts in a room, with your people, talking honestly about what got in the way last year and deciding—together—that this year will be even better.

It’s Time to Break Up with the Bad Employee

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:00:53 GMT

Having the right employees on your team is essential to keeping the farm running smoothly. Yet in many cases, workers are hired to fill an urgent labor gap and aren’t given the training or resources they need to succeed. When that happens, even well‑intentioned employees may struggle to fit the role or the team—ultimately leading to a labor “breakup.”

Jorge Delgado, a training and talent development specialist with Alltech, says the reluctance to address these situations is often emotional and more costly than managers realize. In a recent conversation, he compared it to staying in a romantic relationship long after it is clear it is not working.

Why Do Farms Struggle to Let Go?

For many farm owners, the biggest barrier to firing a poor-fit employee is fear.

“One fear that many farmers have is that they are not going to be able to find another employee to replace the person they are letting go,” Delgado explains.

This fear intensifies in specialized roles where skills are harder to find.

“This can especially be true for middle management positions,” Delgado adds. “These are more technical positions, and it can be really hard to find people to fill that role. Sometimes, that makes management hesitate to get rid of that person, even though it’s hurting production and numbers at the farm.”

Family and social ties on the farm add another complication. Delgado says it’s not uncommon for employees to be related, or tightly connected, to others on the crew.

“Sometimes these guys, they have family involved,” he adds. “The owners or managers are afraid that if they let go of oner person, these guys will take their family or friends with them.”

The result is a kind of emotional hostage situation. Even when the employee clearly doesn’t fit the culture or role, management feels stuck, hoping the situation will somehow improve on its own.

Have Clear Expectations

Many employee challenges on farms can be traced back to what did or did not happen on the first day of work. Delgado says problems often begin long before performance issues show up, simply because expectations were never clearly laid out.

“You have to have rules and regulations really clear and established on a far,” Delgado says. “Most of the farmers hire people on the spot, get them trained and get them going. These people don’t necessarily go through a formal onboarding process where they go through the expectations, the rules and regulations, and so they don’t know anything about it.”

When those expectations are never clearly explained, performance conversations and eventual terminations can feel unfair on both sides. Employees feel blindsided, and managers feel frustrated. In many cases, the breakdown started on the first day the employee walked onto the farm.

He also stresses the value of doing basic reference checks before hiring, an often-skipped step in agriculture.

“Sometimes we just hire the individual that is right at the door, and we don’t do any research,” Delgado says. “But that research can be an early sign that this individual is not the right fit for my culture.”

The Three-Strike Approach

Before any tough decision is made, farmers need a clear framework for addressing performance issues. Delgado recommends a structured, professional process—one that gives employees fair warning while protecting the farm.

He suggests a simple three-strike policy:

Verbal warning - Delgado stresses that this first step should be a clear, calm and deliberate conversation. The manager needs to sit down with the employee and explain exactly what behavior or performance issue needs to change, why it matters to the operation and what improvement looks like.

He encourages farmers to avoid vague statements like “you need to do better” and instead focus on specific, measurable expectations. The employee should leave the conversation knowing precisely what needs to change and the timeframe to correct it.

Written warning - If the issue continues after the verbal warning, Delgado says it is time to move to formal documentation. This step should be more structured and intentional, signaling to the employee that the concern is serious and must be addressed.

“You need to sit down with the person and explain what’s going on,” Delgado says. “It becomes more structuralized, because the person and both parties should sign a document saying, ‘Look, this is the second time you did this, and these are going to be the consequences if you do it for the third time.’”

Termination -If the behavior does not change after verbal and written warnings, Delgado says it is time to part ways. By this point, the employee has been given clear expectations, opportunities to improve, and formal notice that the issue is serious.

Delgado encourages farmers to handle this step professionally and directly. The conversation should be private, respectful and brief. The manager should clearly state that the employee is being let go, reference the previous warnings, and avoid turning the meeting into a debate or long explanation.

Watch for Red Flags

Every farm has its own internal culture. Employees work closely together, talk with one another and often recognize problems long before management does.

“In this small circle, things travel fast, especially trouble,” Delgado says. “When there is a person who is not behaving properly or doing something wrong, the team will try to get rid of this person. And the first sign is they will communicate with management.”

Delgado adds that the mistake many managers make is brushing off those early comments or complaints. When multiple employees start raising concerns about the same person, it is often an early warning sign that something is not working and needs attention before it affects the whole crew.

“Many times, the managers avoid these signs,” Delgado say. “They think, ‘Just let it go. Everything’s fine. We’ll take care of this later’ and they totally avoid the problem. By the time they realize it is a big issue, it’s too late.”

Common red flags include chronic lateness, cutting corners, skipping protocols and poor communication. These patterns aren’t only unprofessional, but they can create extra work and frustration for the dependable employees.

“At some point you have to say, ‘What’s going on here?’” Delgado notes. “Don’t ignore the red flags and sweep them under the rug.”

When You Have to Fire on the Spot

Not every situation needs to follow a step-by-step process. Sometimes, inappropriate behavior or actions require immediate dismissal.

“Sometimes you have to get rid of somebody on the spot,” Delgado says. “For example, someone mistreating animals, damaging equipment, mistreating coworkers, stealing or causing serious disruption needs to be let go of immediately. When behavior like drugs, alcohol, sexual harassment or anything else begins to change the culture and environment of the farm, there are no second chances.”

In these cases, keeping the wrong person sends the wrong message to the rest of the team. It makes it look like serious issues can be overlooked or tolerated. It creates frustration for employees who follow the rules, do their jobs well and expect the same standards from others.

Check In, Listen and Make Employees Feel Valued

Preventing tough breakups with employees starts well before any termination talk. Regular check-ins—both formal and informal—can catch small issues before they grow into major problems.

“Formal reviews need to be mandatory,” Delgado says. “But they often aren’t regular. Also, survey your culture. Anonymous surveys usually get people to speak up, and you’ll learn a lot about the reality of your team and the culture.”

One simple question he likes to ask employees is: Would you recommend a friend or family member to work here?

“If the answer is no, something is off,” he adds. “You need to fix that now rather than dealing with the fallout later and having to let too many people go.”

Beyond systems and surveys, many farm employees simply don’t feel valued.

“Ask an employee what their role is, and they often say, ‘I just do ‘fill in the blank’” Delgado says. “They don’t see the big picture, and it’s our job to make them feel relevant.”

That means communicating mission, purpose and appreciation—much like in a healthy marriage.

“If you aren’t telling your spouse you appreciate them, you can’t be surprised when the relationship fails if you only point out the negatives,” he adds

Breaking Up the Right Way

Running a farm isn’t just about managing equipment, crops and livestock. It also means managing people. And while you can’t control every employee’s choice, you can:

Set clear expectations from day one
Document verbal and written warnings
Pay attention to the “inner community” of employees
Use reviews and surveys to monitor morale and culture
Communicate how valuable and relevant your team members are

And when it becomes clear that someone isn’t a fit, you owe it to your business and your team to act.

Operating in the Shadows: Why the Dairy Workforce Crisis is a Threat to National Food Security

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:08:05 GMT

Behind every gallon of milk lies a multi-billion-dollar industry fueled by a workforce that, in the eyes of the law, technically doesn’t exist. This is the ultimate American paradox: a critical sector of the national economy forced to operate in the shadows, where a single enforcement rumor can halt business overnight.

At a recent panel at the IDFA Dairy Forum focused on immigration and the workplace, and industry leaders from across the political and geographic spectrum gathered to dissect a crisis that has moved beyond mere political rhetoric into the realm of business continuity and national food security.

The discussion, featuring Shannon Douglass (California Farm Bureau), Rick Naerebout (Idaho Dairymen’s Association), James O’Neill (American Business Immigration Coalition), and Julie Myers Wood (Guidepost Solutions LLC), revealed an industry caught between shifting federal enforcement agendas and a desperate need for structural legislative reform.

The Geography of Fear: California Versus Idaho

The impact of immigration policy is often dictated by the political makeup of the state in which a farm operates. Douglass, representing the deep-blue state of California, described a fear factor that can paralyze a harvest in hours.

“In June, specifically in the strawberry fields of Southern California, workers were afraid,” Douglass says. “We saw up to 60% of the workforce simply not show up because of rumors of ICE agents in the area.”

This instability doesn’t just affect the workers. It creates a ripple effect throughout the supply chain. In the Los Angeles area, it took nearly two weeks for harvest crews to recover their volume after a single week of enforcement scares. For many farmers, the chaos is more damaging than the enforcement itself, leading to shut-down crews and lost product when the timing of the harvest is most critical.

In contrast, Naerebout describes a different reality in the red state of Idaho. Under the Trump administration, Idaho has benefited from a governor who maintains a solid relationship with federal leadership. Naerebout pointed to a recent “New York Times” interview where President Trump admitted to instructing ICE not to focus enforcement on agricultural sectors.

“We have benefited from being a red state under this administration,” Naerebout notes. “But the risk is that as easily as he tells them not to enforce, he can tell them to start. We can’t be content with the current state of play. We have to keep ringing the bell for a permanent solution.”

The “Quiet” Enforcement and Supply Chain Disruptions

Wood, a former federal prosecutor and head of ICE, warns the absence of a large-scale workplace ICE Raid doesn’t mean enforcement has stalled. Instead, it has become more surgical and administrative.

“ICE is continuing to conduct audits on third-party staffing companies,” Wood explains. “Farmers and processors often find their biggest disruptions come through these secondary sources.”

Furthermore, the enforcement has moved downstream into transportation. Wood highlights aggressive enforcement regarding visa violations among truck drivers crossing borders. While these actions don’t make the headlines like a facility raid, they create significant short-term disruptions and long-term structural questions about how U.S. businesses secure a globally competitive workforce.

The “CEO Pickle” and the Dairy Gap

Perhaps the most significant challenge discussed was the unique position of the dairy industry. Unlike the produce sector, which can use the H-2A seasonal visa program, dairy requires year-round, daily labor.

“Don’t overcomplicate this,” Naerebout urges. “We need two high-level policies: a path to legal status for the current workforce and a viable year-round visa program for the future. That has been the ask for two decades.”

The “CEO Pickle” refers to the underground nature of agricultural labor. Naerebout shares a sobering story of a police chase that ended on a dairy farm, leading to a full-scale raid that decimated the operation’s workforce.

“Our industry is divided,” he says. “Smaller farmers feel like they can’t grow because they are operating in the shadows. We have a whole underground labor market, and we have to come up with answers.”

Linking Labor to the Grocery Bill

O’Neill argues the best opportunity for reform lies in connecting the workforce crisis to the consumer crisis at the grocery store.

“The primary driver of increased food cost is the increased cost of labor, and the primary driver of that is accessibility,” O’Neill says. He notes the political environment is shifting, with a general backlash against current enforcement styles — particularly among Hispanic voters — and a growing recognition that food inflation cannot be solved without stabilizing the farm workforce.

O’Neill highlightes that while legislative efforts like the Dignity Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act have been reintroduced, they require a bipartisan environmental shift to move forward. The goal is to move immigration from a fiery border security debate to a pragmatic discussion about economic stability.

The Path Forward

The consensus among the panelists was one of urgent optimism. The American public’s view on agricultural labor is softening as the link between labor availability and food prices becomes clearer. However, the industry remains at the mercy of executive whims and congressional inaction.

As Douglass concludes, the goal isn’t just about numbers or data; it’s about the “personal stories of the farmers”, and the resilience of the communities they support. Whether in a blue or a red state, the message to Washington is the same: the U.S. dairy and agricultural sectors cannot remain globally competitive while their workforce remains in the shadows.

Your Next Read:
Overnight Exodus: How An ICE Raid Cut This Dairy’s Workforce By More Than Half

Love for the Lifestyle: How One Herdsperson is Making a Big Difference

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 21:10:07 GMT

Just five years ago, Justine Holland’s days revolved around her clients: formulating the perfect colors, artfully styling hair, and intently listening like a therapist. Today, her “clients” are 650 cows on a dairy in central Michigan. She still practices science, art, and intentional care. It just looks a little different now, and in her words, it’s “a lot better.”

Holland grew up around the corner from Sanborn and Sons Dairy in Hubbardston, Michigan. Throughout high school, two things that occupied a lot of her time were sports, including braiding hair for her teammates, and picking rocks.

“I went on to hair school,” Holland recalls. “I did that, and I liked it, but did I love it? No. I looked at hair as not really a full-time job, and I always wanted to do something extra.”

She found her way back to the farm by asking the owner if there was anything available. At first, it was washing equipment and getting ready for field work. “I just loved that more than my hair job,” she says. “But I still did hair for a few years, and then I started walking the barns.”

She went back to the owner. “Is there a position for this? Can I learn about cows?”, she asked. And by the time Holland’s first child was born, she walked away from the cosmetology industry to focus on her daughter and the dairy.

(Image Provied)

Holland’s drive and eagerness to learn led to a full-time position as the herd manager. With on-the-job training and an inquisitive nature as her primary source of education, she now does everything from herd health to computer work and payroll and helps in the field if needed.

“My passion for cows and learning about these creatures – they’re just remarkable. I could talk about them for days,” Holland says. “So I really switched roles and people crack up when they hear it. They say, ‘You’re a hair person, you look great, we can’t even believe you work on a dairy.’”

But it’s true. Holland says she’s deeply invested in the entire cycle of life, from manure hitting the field to her role in a long and healthy life for each cow. Her local vet knows it’s serious when she calls, because there’s so much she can – and loves to – handle on her own.

The progress around the farm is a product of that passion. “I’m interested in sustainability and finding ways the dairy can do better,” Holland says. “And I’ve been able to make a lot of changes for the better.”

Having someone who truly loves working with cows allowed those who had seen it as a chore to focus on their own strengths in the field and shop. The whole operation has benefitted.

Holland also dove into the systems the farm was using. She completed courses and trainings to make sure they were getting the maximum benefit from programs like PcDart and CowManager.

She noticed that the cows were at their best in a quiet barn where they could relax, so she reduced commotion and extra staff around the cows. Once-a-week bedding changes and storing the sand on concrete directly influenced both production and milk quality. Calf health was improved when she suggested transitioning from indoor housing to hutches.

“I always tell myself how thankful I am that my boss lets me do all these things,” Holland says. “He’s always telling me to run the dairy as if it were my own.”

One of the best contrasts from the hair stylist days for Justine is that she’s no longer the therapist. “I will talk to the gals, and they just listen,” Holland says. “I’m just out here trying to give my cows a healthy life and get healthy dairy products. Our cows are so comfortable and are literally spoiled. There might be bad things that happen, but the days are not bad at all.”

(Image Provided)

How An ICE Raid Cut This Dairy's Workforce By More Than Half

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 17:53:18 GMT

Like many of their fellow dairy farmers, Rodney and Dorothy Elliott, owners of Drumgoon Dairy, grapple with securing reliable labor. Nestled in the small town of Lake Norden, S.D., their labor headaches intensified this past spring when their 6,500-cow dairy operation experienced a federal Department of Homeland Security audit that led to the immediate termination of 38 employees. The Elliotts were left with 16 workers.

“We didn’t just lose employees — we lost years of experience, skills, knowledge and a team culture that we had built over the past 10 years or more,” Dorothy says.

The audit findings revealed several workers had inaccurate, outdated or incomplete documentation regarding their U.S. citizenship status or work permits. For the Elliotts, the raid brought to light a critical issue that many farms and ag businesses face today: The complexities of immigration policy impact workforce availability.

The Elliotts fear for the future, not only for their own dairy, but for the industry at large. Immigrant workers are critical to dairy operations, representing over half of all dairy farm labor and contributing to 79% of the U.S. milk supply, according to the National Milk Producers Federation.

“Basically, we’ve turned off the tap, but we’ve done nothing to create a solution to find employees for the dairy industry,” Dorothy says.

(Drumgoon Dairy)

The urgency for immigration reform is exacerbated by the fact Americans are typically unwilling to undertake these demanding jobs, says Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association.

“This is bigger than just a dairy issue, this is a feeding America issue, which is national security. Roughly half of all on-farm labor in America is unauthorized. We cannot feed ourselves as a country without these workers,” Naerebout says. “One of the lessons we learned from WWII is that a country that cannot feed itself without imports is at greater risk from their enemies.”

(Drumgoon Dairy)

A Sustainable Future Requires a Sustainable Workforce

The Elliotts’ journey began in northern Ireland, where they managed a small dairy farm restricted by stringent government regulations. Frustrated by the limitations and lured by an enticing marketing campaign from the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, the family took a leap of faith. They left Ireland, aspiring to transform their modest 140-head operation into a modern, sustainable dairy farm.

Their vision extended beyond business growth — they also set their sights on building an operation that offered future generations a chance to return to farming.

“We’ve achieved our goals that we set out for ourselves: Build a dairy, milk cows and grow the dairy industry in South Dakota,” Dorothy says. “Is it a sustainable goal if there’s nobody to work on these dairies? No. All the time, money, effort, investment and hard work that has gone into it will be null and void if there isn’t a workforce.”

With firsthand experience, Elliott empathizes with her workforce, many of whom are Hispanic immigrants. Elliott gained citizenship shortly after relocating to the U.S., and her husband followed suit, becoming a citizen eight years after they moved.

“We’re facing a reality where all our employees are doing is working. They’re filling positions that are, at present, not being claimed by American workers,” Dorothy reflects.

Her statement sheds light on the essential roles immigrant laborers play across the agricultural landscape, highlighting the gap between workforce demands and available labor supply.

“I want people to understand that dairy farms don’t choose to hire undocumented workers. We all have to hire following state and federal guidelines,” Dorothy says. “Everyone who was hired on our farm had to have a state or federally issued ID card and a Social Security number. Some of these employees had been working without any flags being raised for over 10 years. They were paying all the state and federal taxes we are required to collect.”

(Drumgoon Dairy)

Automation Still Requires Human Touch

Despite adversity, the Elliotts push forward. Nearby farms offered temporary assistance following the raid, and they continue to heavily invest in both local and international workforce recruitment. Although automation seemed a promising alternative at one point, the prohibitive costs and disappointing results led to the sale of some equipment.

Drumgoon Dairy installed 20 robots in 2020. They hoped to recruit students and graduates from Lake Area Technical College’s robotics program to maintain the equipment. They’ve advertised maintenance positions, but the response has been disheartening. As of now, “no one,” according to Dorothy, has stepped forward to fill these roles.

Given the high costs associated with running and servicing the robots, the family decided to remove them.

(Drumgoon Dairy)

A National Security Crisis

Drumgoon Dairy’s challenges are not isolated. Since President Trump’s crackdown on immigration started a year ago, ICE Raids have happened all across the U.S. While numbers specific to the agriculture industry aren’t available, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement , the number of people in immigration detention in the U.S. hit an all-time high as of Dec. 14, 2025, at 68,400 people.

It’s been nine months since the ICE raid at Drumgoon Dairy. While the Elliotts now have a full workforce, they’re not operating with the same level of experience, skills and knowledge.

“I feel that the Republican Party has run on this promise of immigration reform and encouraging new businesses to come and set up businesses in the U.S.,” she says. “Since we started dairy farming in 2006, the only people coming to work on dairy farms have been from the Hispanic community. I now see local construction businesses, factories, landscaping businesses and other ag businesses all using Hispanic workers. Where is the reform? What has been done to facilitate a sustainable workforce?”

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How Victory Farms Uses Smart Tech and Beef-on-Dairy to Boost Profit

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:22:16 GMT

In the heart of Milbank, S.D., Victory Farms stands as a testament to strategic adaptation and unwavering dedication in the U.S. dairy industry. A trifecta of families — Kevin Souza, Dave Nuss, and Peter Orrade — has fostered this flourishing dairy operation. Amid an industry often characterized by fluctuating milk checks and rising costs, Souza and his team are charting a compelling path forward, marked by technological prowess, genetic advancement, a vibrant community spirit and sharp business acumen.

Originally feed consultants hailing from California, these families entered the dairy industry ambitiously and bought an existing farm in 1998. Starting with 1,300 cows, the operation quickly expanded, adapting to the needs and challenges of the evolving dairy landscape. Currently, Victory Farm milks 5,700 mostly straight Jerseys, with plans to expand to 6,200.

Kevin Souza and Greg Bohn

(Victory Farms)

Tech-Driven Efficiency: A Farm Where Every Animal is Monitored

Victory Farms has embraced technology as a cornerstone of its operational philosophy. In 2020, the farm implemented the SenseHub collar system with sort gates for its mature cows, significantly enhancing efficiency in identifying cows for breeding and treatment.

“We wanted to find the cows that needed breeding quicker and the cows that needed treating quicker,” Souza explains.

The positive impact was so profound that a few years later they extended this activity monitoring to their calves, placing tags on every animal from birth to mature cow. Souza says this comprehensive monitoring system has yielded remarkable results.

“We were treating less calves,” he states, noting that they now use preventative measures such as rumen boluses for calves, eliminating the need for antibiotics in their youngest stock. This proactive approach has not only reduced human error and treatment costs but also demonstrated a clear return on investment, particularly in improved animal health outcomes. “Our actual treat treatments went down, and death loss went down.”

(Victory Farms)

Nurturing People and Community: The Heart of Victory Farms

Beyond advanced technology, Victory Farms thrives on a deeply ingrained culture of valuing its 48 full-time employees.

“Our motto is, take care of the cows, and they take care of you. And we’re the same way with employees,” Souza emphasizes. With long-term staff, including a herdsman who has been with them for 27 years, the farm provides housing, generous vacation and regular gestures of appreciation like monthly pizzas and Christmas dinners. Souza’s daily presence, greeting shifts, underscores a commitment to acknowledging and supporting his team, recognizing “there’s no way we could do this without them.”

This community-first approach extends beyond the farm gates through a unique 4-H leasing program. Inspired by his wife, Suzanne, an Extension specialist for Big Stone County, Minn., Victory Farms leases dairy calves to 20 local 4-H kids annually. This initiative not only provides invaluable agricultural experience to youth, including many from non-farm backgrounds, but also fosters a positive image of dairy farming.

“It just turned my whole idea around about agriculture,” one former participant shared, highlighting the program’s profound impact.

Strategic Growth and Diversification: Bright Spots Amid Industry Crossroads

Facing the U.S. dairy industry’s current challenges, Victory Farms is strategically pursuing “bright spots” to ensure long-term profitability. While maximizing milk production and components remains a top priority (with the herd averaging 70 lb. of milk at 5% fat and 4% protein), Souza has keenly embraced the lucrative beef-on-dairy market. Through an extensive embryo program, the farm strategically breeds its crossbred herd to beef semen, generating significant revenue from day-old beef-cross calves.

Souza’s goal is to eventually produce all dairy replacements through embryos, allowing more uteruses to be dedicated to beef-on-dairy. This meticulous management of heifer inventory has allowed Victory Farms to reduce its replacement heifer numbers by 1,000 while maintaining herd size, further optimizing costs. The farm’s commitment to genetics, working closely with Select Sires and genomic testing all Jerseys, ensures that only the healthiest and most productive animals contribute to the herd.

“I make bulls to send to Select Sires, to pay for my IVF program, to make better heifers,” Souza says, highlighting his dedication to genetic advancement.

A Sustainable and Optimistic Future

As Victory Farms expands to 6,200 cows, it does so as a closed herd since 2015, prioritizing sustainable, internal growth. Operating in South Dakota, Souza appreciates the “more self-contained” nature of dairying, with reliable local services and effective manure management, turning a potential challenge into a resource that local farmers eagerly request.

Despite the current volatility in milk prices, Souza remains remarkably optimistic about the future of dairy. His strategic investments in technology, his unwavering commitment to his employees and community, and his innovative approach to genetic and market diversification position Victory Farms as a beacon of adaptability and prosperity, demonstrating how a forward-thinking dairy can thrive at the industry’s crossroads.

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How to Handle Tension Before it Becomes Conflict

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:37:46 GMT

Conflict on farms isn’t always obvious. It doesn’t have to show up as a dramatic argument or a big blow-up moment. Most of the time, it starts as frustration over a task, strain between coworkers or even just someone quietly checking out.

While conflict can feel messy, it’s not a sign something is broken. According to Hernando Duarte, farm labor outreach specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, it’s a reality of farm work.

“In labor-intensive environments like farms and other agricultural operations, conflict between employees [and family] can happen,” Duarte explains. And on farms, that friction is hard to avoid.

Conflict Can Feel Personal

Duarte notes conflict feels uncomfortable for a reason. On a farm, long hours, physical work and constant pressure can make disagreements feel personal, even when they’re not. Sometimes, just a simple disagreement can feel like a personal attack.

“Our brains often perceive conflict as a threat, which makes it uncomfortable and leads many people to avoid it,” he says.

That instinct to avoid tough conversations is understandable, but avoiding conflict doesn’t make it disappear. According to Duarte, the difference between a farm that struggles and one that moves forward often comes down to how leaders respond when tension shows up.

Most Conflict Starts Below the Surface

Sometimes a disagreement looks like just part of the daily grind, but Duarte emphasizes that understanding what’s underneath the issue is the first step toward solving and preventing conflict in the future.

On farms, those underlying causes often include:

Misunderstandings about expectations or tasks
Different work styles and decision-making speeds
Unclear roles or responsibilities
Cultural or language barriers within diverse teams
Stress and fatigue during peak seasons
Generational differences in values and priorities

None of these are unusual in agriculture, they’re often just a natural part of running a farm. More hands and different perspectives can sometimes cause small misunderstandings, but that’s just a normal part of working together as a team.

Turning Conflict Into Progress

It can be tempting to hope tension works itself out. But Duarte warns that avoiding conflict usually makes the situation worse.

When conflict is ignored, Duarte says farms often see:

Lower morale and growing frustration
Reduced productivity and focus
Higher employee turnover
Declines in performance, quality and safety

Unresolved conflict doesn’t just go away. Left unaddressed, small tensions can grow and start affecting how the team works together.

“Conflict doesn’t have to be a negative thing,” Duarte says. “When handled properly, it can lead to stronger communication, better teamwork and long-term improvements and innovation.”

Handled well, conflict can actually move a team forward. Duarte encourages leaders to:

Create space for private, respectful conversations
Listen to all sides without interruption
Look beyond surface issues to understand the real concern
Refocus discussions on shared goals, including a safe, productive, respectful workplace
Agree on clear next steps, responsibilities and follow-up
Bring in additional support if issues repeat or escalate

Addressing conflict early helps keep small issues from turning into long-term setbacks and gives teams a chance to work better together.

Leadership Sets the Tone

At the end of the day, Duarte says resolving on-farm conflict starts with leadership. If managers ignore tension, people notice. If they step in and handle issues calmly and fairly, the whole team feels more confident.

Leading by example, communicating clearly and checking in regularly all help reduce future conflict. Training supervisors to handle small issues early can keep them from becoming bigger disruptions later.

Conflict isn’t fun, but it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. When it’s handled the right way, it can actually make the team stronger. It’s a chance to build trust, clear up expectations and keep everyone moving in the same direction.

Dairy Farm Labor: Why Human Capital is Key for the New Year

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 16:04:00 GMT

The criticality of a robust labor force cannot be overstated, especially in the dairy industry. The daily rhythm of a dairy operation — from the precision of milking protocols to the meticulous care of herd health and the essential upkeep of facilities — hinges entirely on the expertise and dedication of its people. Without a skilled and committed team, the pursuit of optimal production, exemplary animal welfare and the integration of cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices becomes an uphill battle.

Looking ahead to the new year, this reliance on human capital will only intensify. The conversation within the dairy community is increasingly centered on not just finding employees but cultivating talent. This means a sharper focus on strategies to attract new individuals to our industry, provide comprehensive training that empowers them and implement retention programs that value their contributions. Investing wisely in our dairy workforce isn’t merely a response to present needs; it’s a proactive step to fortify the future of dairy and guarantee the consistent delivery of the high-quality products consumers expect.

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Dairy's Breaking Point: No Workers, No Milk

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 20:59:03 GMT

When it comes to challenges, dairy producers from coast to coast agree their biggest challenge facing their farm is labor and the need for comprehensive immigration reform is long overdue. This topic resonates deeply, as more than two-thirds of the 9.36 million dairy cows in the U.S. are being milked by immigrant laborers, as noted by the National Milk Producers Federation.

At the 2025 MILK Business Conference in Las Vegas, Rick Naerbout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, emphasized the significance of this issue. He addressed labor and immigration, focusing on the need for pragmatic solutions.

A Call for Realistic Solutions
Naerbout stresses the importance of accepting that a perfect solution is unlikely. Instead, progress can be made through administrative changes, which, although not a “silver bullet,” could act as a catalyst. This, in turn, might encourage Congress to take meaningful action.

According to Naerbout, for dairy producers, political engagement at the local level is crucial.

“Dairymen need to be more politically active back home, particularly in conservative states given where the power dynamic currently is in D.C., to help encourage and support their members of congress to take the tough vote on this, if given the opportunity,” he says. “If they don’t have cover back home, they are much less likely to vote the right way on an immigration fix.”

Idaho Dairymen’s Association has demonstrated success in this arena by fostering relationships with Hispanic community groups and the Catholic Church.

“Even some in law enforcement have stepped forward to say that we need to focus on the violent criminals and national security threats rather than those who are here working, paying taxes, etc.,” he says. “And don’t forget homebuilders. If they lose their workers, the push to build houses that people can afford evaporates.”

Impact Beyond Dairy
Immigration reform transcends the dairy sector. Non-family farm labor across the agricultural spectrum predominantly consists of foreign-born workers. Losing these workers poses a severe threat to operations, whether at a small 100-cow dairy or a large 10,000-cow dairy.

“This isn’t only a big dairy problem,” Naerbout says. “Nine times out of 10, non-family labor on farms is foreign-born. Whether you are a 100-cow dairy with one employee or a 10,000-cow dairy with 100 employees, if you lose your worker(s), you’re in the same boat. There is no one to take care of the cows.”

Preparing for Audits and Legislation
Dairy producers are advised to prepare for potential I-9 audits or other enforcement actions. Additionally, conservative states are urged to pause on enforcing legislation like E-Verify, allowing the administration time to address the broader system issues.

The need for immigration reform is pressing and pivotal for the sustainability of the dairy industry. Policymakers, business leaders and community groups must collaborate to forge a path forward that acknowledges and supports the critical role of immigrant workers in agriculture. This is a pertinent topic the Trump administration acknowledges they are working on.

Earlier this year, at the Joint Annual Dairy Meetings in Arlington, Texas, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins shared with Dairy Herd Management that:

“Everyone understands the dynamics of an open border, and the millions and millions, we’re unable to count how many, that crossed during the last administration. The president’s No. 1 promise as a candidate in 2022 through 2024 was sealing the border and mass deportations. Looking at this challenge through the lens of understanding labor is absolute when we can’t feed ourselves, combined with where we are in terms of immigration, those are the nuances.”

The pervasive challenge of labor and the urgent call for comprehensive immigration reform resonate as a defining issue for the U.S. dairy industry. As highlighted at MILK Business Conference and reinforced by the sheer reliance on immigrant labor, the sustainability of dairy, from the smallest family farm to the largest operation, hinges on pragmatic, bipartisan solutions. The dialogue from the MILK Business Conference, coupled with acknowledgments from the Trump administration on the complexities of labor and border dynamics, underscores that this is not merely an agricultural concern, but a national imperative. Moving forward, sustained political engagement at the local level, combined with collaborative efforts across policymakers, business leaders and community groups, will be essential to forge a path that ensures both secure borders and a stable, skilled workforce vital for feeding the nation.

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Insider Strategy Tips for Top Performing Producers

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 20:39:52 GMT

Progress on the farm rarely comes from a single breakthrough. It comes from the everyday decisions that make a dairy run smoother, smarter and more sustainably than it did the year before. For three dairymen speaking at this year’s MILK Business Conference, Greg Bethard, TJ Tuls and Hank Hafliger, success isn’t accidental, it’s intentional.

These producers offer practical, hard-earned tips for other producers, sharing the strategies that have helped their dairies stay competitive, efficient and resilient in a fast-changing industry.

Invest In Technology That Pays Its Way
Technology continues to transform how dairies operate by offering tools that streamline processes and boost efficiency. For Tuls, the principle remains clear that every investment must deliver value.

“We’re always looking for ways to make our dairies run better,” Tuls says. “Right now, we’re testing three or four different systems to see what works best.”

Some tools use cameras to monitor cow movement and employee performance. Others combine data with DairyComp to spot trends and guide better decisions. But Tuls reminds farmers technology only works if you use the data.

“At the end of the day, it’s feeding your data back into your operation and doing something with that information. And it takes good people and managers to interpret it and really apply it on your farm,” he says.

For Bethard in Kansas, his perspective comes with decades of hindsight.

“I remember 30 years ago when I started out, a 1,000-cow dairy was huge. Back then, DairyComp and headlocks were your tools to manage that many cows,” Bethard says.

Today, his list of non-negotiables to manage a larger herd has grown. Sort gates, activity collars and meters in the parlor are all essential. The philosophy behind adopting new technology, though, hasn’t changed.

“I can barely use my cell phone, so I’m not really a technology guy,” he jokes. “I’m looking for anything that’s easy to use and lowers my cost to produce milk. The key is evaluating it and embracing what makes sense for us.”

For Bethard, every piece of technology has to prove its worth. When he evaluated activity collars on his dairy, the numbers spoke for themselves. Looking ahead, he plans to follow the same approach by avoiding flashy trends and focusing on tools that truly improve efficiency and animal care.

Measuring What Matters
Across all three dairies, success is powered by key performance indicators.

Tuls’ team in Nebraska leans heavily on people-focused metrics.

“One of the biggest KPIs we track is employee turnover,” he says. “When you have a strong, experienced team, it directly improves profitability, production and cow longevity.”

Feed efficiency is another cornerstone metric for Tuls.

“You can feed a lot of different products and make a lot of milk, but if you’re spending a ton of money doing it, it doesn’t help your bottom line,” he adds. “How cows convert feed into milk, that’s a huge deal.”

Bethard’s dairy approaches metrics through the lens of business sustainability. Their guiding number is their break-even cost with no milk price factored in.

“If we achieve that, really nothing else matters much,” Bethard says.

Operationally, they track a daily static variable margin: income over feed cost minus variable expenses.

“That margin is what pays for all the other fixed costs,” Bethard says.

It’s the heartbeat of the business, and the number he relies on to maintain a healthy, resilient operation.

Winning With People
For all three dairymen, success starts with people. Hafliger says that means creating a family atmosphere on his operation.

“These guys come to work in the middle of the night when it’s snowing outside,” he says. “They’re pulling calves and caring for cows in the toughest conditions. It’s important to treat them like family.”

Tuls agrees. Watching employees grow has become one of his greatest rewards.

“Three of our managers started as cow pushers, and now they’re running dairies,” he says. “That’s fun to watch. They really are family.”

Tuls says leadership means being present, listening, checking in and making sure people know their work matters.

“They’re working at your farm by choice,” he says. “You’ve got to convince them it’s a good place to be,” he adds.

Bethard sees culture as the cornerstone for his operation.

“Culture is what keeps the wheels turning,” Bethard says. “You can have the best systems in the world, but if your team doesn’t feel respected and connected, nothing works.

The Blueprint for Success
Across three states and three management styles, one message is clear. Great dairies do not achieve success by chance. They build it through careful adoption of technology, disciplined measurement and workplaces where people feel valued and motivated.

Dairy's Ambitious Future: $11 Billion Processing Power by 2026

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 13:16:02 GMT

The dairy industry is at a pivotal moment, driven by growth, expansion and an unwavering dedication to innovation. During the Joint Annual Meeting hosted by the National Milk Producers Federation, the National Dairy Board, and the United Dairy Industry Association in Arlington, Texas earlier this month, Gregg Doud highlighted the industry’s strides forward, its present challenges and the promising path ahead.

A Vision for Expansion
Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, opened with a commanding vision for the future. His address emphasized the dramatic growth trajectory of the dairy industry, projecting a staggering increase to $11 billion by 2026. This expansion is not just about numbers. Doud sees it as positioning the U.S. as a global leader in dairy production, challenging countries like New Zealand and Europe for supremacy.

“When I look at this chart, I look at this is our ability to be globally competitive,” he said.

Central to this vision is the industry’s ability to export 18% of its product, marking a hopeful run toward record-breaking dairy exports. Yet, Doud acknowledged the concerns about potential disruptions within the industry, urging stakeholders to remain optimistic about the opportunities for growth.

“I love where we are in this industry,” he said. “Right now, we are right where we want to be.”

Ensuring Competitiveness
Maintaining global competitiveness was a critical theme. Doud celebrated the bipartisan efforts leading to significant advancements like the tax reforms, which he argued have fortified the U.S.'s position in global markets. Such legislative advances, alongside strategic trade deals with Southeast Asian countries, are set to open unprecedented avenues for the dairy industry.

“Think about where the president was recently — those are all the countries that border China,” he said. “That is a really interesting thing in terms of strategy. The President said: ‘Well, I want to make sure that I go visit all these countries first before I talk to President Xi in China.’ That’s not by coincidence, having the opportunity to have duty free access into Southeast Asia is something that we wanted across all of agriculture, and in particular in the dairy industry for a long, long time. That’s going to make a huge difference for us.”

Overcoming Challenges
While growth is promising, Doud did not shy away from discussing the hurdles that remain. The challenge of securing milk in schools was a significant topic, illustrating the complexities of navigating political landscapes. Despite setbacks, progress has been made, showcasing teamwork across party lines.

“It’s like we’re in a dream,” Doud noted, expressing optimism about imminent legislative victories.

Moreover, labor remains a pressing issue, with farm labor shortages described as a pivotal concern for continued expansion. Doud emphasized that progress should not be delayed by political inertia, underscoring the urgency of addressing labor challenges.

“We’re kind of in no man’s land here on this topic of farm labor, it is, without question, our No. 1 issue in dairy, but across all of agriculture, in my opinion,” Doud said. “I think we need to remind our elected officials that; we’ve got to milk the cows every day. We don’t have time to wait for the inconvenience of an election to get things done in Washington.”

Leadership and Legacy
Brian Rexing, a fourth-generation dairy farmer, followed with personal insights into his journey and vision for the industry. His story is one of legacy and commitment. He stressed the significance of family and the future they represent for the dairy industry.

Organizationally, both leaders highlighted the strength of their teams. They acknowledged the dedication of individuals like Chris Galen, NMPF senior vice president, member services and governance, and Paul Bleiberg, NMPF, executive vice president, government relations, who both have significantly contributed to industry advancements. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed, serving as pillars of support and innovation as the industry navigates its future.

The future of the dairy industry is rife with opportunity. Doud’s remarks highlight a collective momentum aimed at harnessing growth while tackling the inherent challenges. The emphasis on strategic planning, trade, legislative advancements and labor solutions reflects an industry that is not only resilient but also proactive in its approach.

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A Conversation With Ag Secretary Rollins on Labor, Disease and MAHA

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 19:59:29 GMT

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins stuck to streamlining the federal government labor rules to alleviate dairy’s worker crisis and said more aggressive measures are coming to prevent and contain disease, in an interview with Dairy Herd Management. Rollins this week was at the joint annual meeting hosted by National Milk Producers Federation, the United Dairy Board and the United Dairy Industry Association in Arlington, Texas.

While there, she said the H-2A visa program is particularly broken for dairy, which requires year-round support instead of seasonal workers. She also said measures, such as mandatory testing for lactating dairy cattle prior to interstate movement, are not aggressive enough to address modern biosecurity threats.

Below is a summary of Dairy Herd’s 20-minute conversation with Rollins, who discussed labor, disease prevention as well as her feelings on the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.

What Federal Efforts Are in the Works to Ensure Adequate Labor for U.S. Dairies?

One of the central concerns among dairy producers, and the entire industry, is comprehensive immigration reform. To put it in perspective, more than two-thirds of today’s 9.36 million dairy cows are milked by immigrant laborers in the U.S., according to the National Milk Producers Federation.

Currently, the H-2A visa applies strictly to seasonal or temporary labor. Dairy operations, however, require consistent, skilled workers every day of the year. Milking and caring for cows, managing processing facilities and ensuring food safety are daily tasks that don’t pause between seasons. This mismatch leaves dairy farmers and processors nationwide without a legal means to fulfill their guestworker needs.

In addition to the need for year-round help, Secretary Rollins notes farmers must interact with three different federal agencies to use the H-2A program. Moreover, the costs associated with securing labor have significantly increased, with reports from farmers in south Texas indicating average hourly costs, including transportation and housing, reaching $30 to $35 per hour. Comparatively, similar labor across the border is $2 per hour, Rollins says, illustrating a system that is both unsustainable and inherently unfair.

Ideally, any H-2A program changes will reduce costs and red tape, but comprehensive solutions ultimately require congressional action.

In addition to visa programs, Secretary Rollins says the current administration remains focused on sealing borders and mass deportations.

“Everyone understands the dynamics of an open border, and the millions and millions, we’re unable to count how many, that crossed during the last administration. The President’s No. 1 promise as a candidate in 2022 through 2024 was sealing the border and mass deportations,” she says. “Looking at this challenge through the lens of understanding labor is absolute when we can’t feed ourselves, combined with where we are in terms of immigration, those are the nuances.”

How is the Administration Addressing Threats to Animal Ag?
On day 1, after being sworn in as Secretary of Ag, Rollins was briefed on HPAI . She made it clear that while some measures, such as mandatory testing for lactating dairy cattle prior to interstate movement , had been enacted, a broader and more aggressive approach is necessary. Recognizing that maintaining the status quo was insufficient, a comprehensive strategy was essential — not just from USDA but across the entire federal government.

“I realize there are lots of opinions on my boss, President Trump, but I think the one thing that most people would agree on is that he leaves it all in the field. And, that we have to do everything we can for this moment that we were given to fix a very broken system, whatever that system may look like, in this case, which is animal disease,” Rollins says.

In February 2025, the Trump administration set forth a five-point plan to combat HPAI . Rollins notes the dairy sector, in particular, showcased remarkable adaptability to HPAI threats, demonstrating industry resilience and proactive measures.

Significant investments, such as a $100 million innovation grant , have been allocated to explore vaccines and therapeutic solutions. However, the complexities of viral mutations necessitate caution, especially regarding vaccination strategies, to prevent potentially more dangerous strains from emerging.

“I think we’re going to make more progress than perhaps has been made. Having said that, it’s a virus and the virus always wins,” she says, noting they are worried about New World screwworm and took aggressive actions to combat that by closing several ports.

“We’ve not imported new animals, which is one of the reasons beef prices are up, but we are looking now to figure out how to start reopening ports. I think we’ve gotten our arms around exactly what the problem is,” she says. “We’re building out new sterile fly facilities, which is the only way we eradicated it 30 to 40 years ago, but we have a really good system in place.”

Rollins shares collaborations with international counterparts are stronger, creating an unprecedented partnership with Mexican authorities to manage and preempt future animal agriculture outbreaks effectively. Enhanced border protocols, including disinfection and ivermectin treatments for imports, underscore a commitment to protecting livestock health.

“I feel confident that we are aggressively attacking all pieces of NWS,” she says.

What Does the MAHA Movement’s Mean for Dairy?
The “Make America Healthy Again” movement aims to revamp the nation’s food system, and Rollins offers reassurance dairy products at the forefront.

“Health care costs too much. We’re not getting the care we need, especially to vulnerable populations. How do we fix that?” she asks. “Over the last year, it is completely flipped to, what are Americans eating? What are we serving in our schools? What are we serving in our SNAP program, which 42 million Americans are on the food stamp program.”

While the current economic situation is troubling, Rollins is confident in the long-term potential for profitability and sustainability in the dairy industry.

“What milk, cheese and other dairy products mean as we completely and fundamentally shift our entire food system is our dairy industry is at the very front tip of the spear,” she says, noting the response markets are answering and the dairy industry, too, with the $11 billion in new processing plants, U.S. dairy is riding a wave of momentum that is fueled by consumer demand.

“In the long term, I’m not sure there is an agriculture industry that has more to gain and that will see more of a pivot toward real profitability and real sustainability than this [dairy] industry. I could not be more excited to help lead on that,” she says.

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