WASHINGTON, D.C. — Local leaders on a press call today discussed the effects of the government shutdown and urged Congress and the president to forge a compromise and end it.
Click here for a recording of today’s press call.
The following are quotes from speakers on today’s call: Continue reading “Local Leaders Urge End to Shutdown, Discuss Effects”
Dr. Hugo Ramirez, ISU Extension Dairy Specialist, will outline the importance of consistency when handling animals and teaching employees the reasons for specific protocols. He will discuss why farm guidebooks and manuals are especially vital in a tight labor market.
The second topic is risk management education, especially information on the new Dairy Revenue Protection program, LGM, contracts and other risk management tools. Ron Mortensen from Dairy Gross Margin, LLC, will lead the discussion and answer questions.
Bob Naerebout, with the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, will discuss responsible immigration reform. His role with the Idaho Dairymen’s Association is to lead the IDA in its government affairs and he continues to serve on various national dairy industry boards. Many of those boards’ primary goal is to see responsible immigration reform successfully moved forward. Naerebout currently serves on the Executive Committees of both the National Immigration Forum and the Agricultural Coalition for Immigration Reform. He is also a committee member of the University of Idaho Latino Advisory Committee and the National Milk Producers Federation Immigration Taskforce. Through his engagements surrounding immigration reform, Naerebout and the IDA have become widely recognized as a leader in the immigration reform debate.
ISU Extension Dairy Specialist Fred M. Hall will discuss current trends in the milk market and offer some useful benchmarks for dairymen as they evaluate their enterprise.
The day will begin with registration at 9:00 a.m. at the ISU Extension and Outreach Sioux County office located at 400 Central Avenue Northwest in Orange City, and will conclude around 2:00 p.m.
There is no registration fee, but pre-registration is required by calling the ISU Extension and Outreach Sioux County office at 712-737-4230. Deadline for registration is 12:00 noon on Friday, November 30.
As dairy operations increase animal numbers, they have also increased dependence on a larger labor pool. That labor pool has become less dominated by family members, and more dependent on foreign born labor (FBL) There undoubtedly would be benefits, however, there is significant risk for the dairy industry in any immigration legislation.
The Dairy Discussions: Risk Management and Labor Issues program is set for Tuesday, Dec. 4 at the Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach – Sioux County office in Orange City.
Sit down with any Northwest Iowa livestock producer- dairy, swine, beef or poultry- and the topic of labor is sure to surface in the conversation. Everybody has the solution for how agriculture can find and keep a dependable labor force, just ask any national, state or local politician. But each has a perspective for the solution that often doesn’t recognize or jive with the issues identified by employees or employers.
Continue reading “Northwest Iowa Farm Labor Conference Set For April 17”
National Editor Tom Karst of The Packer noted one Center for Migration Study that undocumented workers are leaving the country. The recent study indicates a sharp decline in the U.S. undocumented population over a six-year period.
Continue reading “Some Immigrant Labor May Be Leaving USA According To One Study”