Industry Buzz
July 8 2015 08:14 AM

    Dairy Farmers Tell Members of Congress “We Need an Adequate Work Force!”


    Dairy Farmers Tell Members of Congress "We Need an Adequate Work Force!"



    American Dairy CoalitionThe American Dairy Coalition, a new organization representing members across the dairy industry supply chain, hosted its initial meeting with a successful fly-in focused on immigration reform and concerns over EPA regulation. More than 40 dairy producers joined Members of Congress and Obama administration officials to voice their concerns about proposed immigration reform and whether it will include a sufficient dairy labor policy.

    "Dairy operations need a new dairy labor policy to guarantee that they will have the available labor force they need to maintain and grow their businesses," said Laurie Fischer president of the newly formed American Dairy Coalition, and former executive director of the Wisconsin Dairy Business Association. "We are grateful to everyone who came and participated in a productive conversation."

    The producers heard from House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Ways and Means Committee member Ron Kind at the welcome reception. As a group, the ADC heard from the key and primary Congressional immigration reform advocates: Agriculture Committee member Jeff Denham (R-CA), Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee member Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Judiciary Committee Chairman and Agriculture Committee member Robert Goodlatte (R-VA), Financial Service Committee member Sean Duffy (R-WI), Small Business Committee member Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) plus leading policy makers with jurisdiction over the EPA. The producers then spent the afternoon visiting individually with their own members of Congress.

    The fly-in was sponsored by Zoetis, Diamond V, AgStar Financial Services, Semex, Animart Dairy and Livestock Solutions, Feed Components, Franks Feed Mill, Pribek Trucking, Investors Community Bank, LDS and Boumatic, Dairy Business Association, Michael Best Strategies, and Badgerland Financial.

    "Thanks for the fantastic two days in Washington D.C. last week. Wow! You did an incredible job organizing and gathering the right legislators and venues for our visit. It was all really good and very enlightening. I sure hope American Dairy Coalition can work their magic and get a Dairy Guest Worker piece that is desperately needed within the industry. I know we can get this done if all dairy producers and surrounding industry works to accomplish it." - Cris Peterson, Four Cubs Farm, Grantsburg WI
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    7.8.2015