Dairy Farmer Talks About Need for Labor Reform

A hot-button issue putting the agriculture industry on edge is the potential for mass deportations tied to recent ICE enforcement activity. Today kicks off part one of our two-part series on the farm labor crisis. New York dairy farmer Kim Skellie, who recently traveled to Washington, DC to advocate for the industry. Operates a large dairy and crop operation with 2400 head of cattle on 3900 acres and a workforce of 36 full-time employees and 15 to 20 part-time employees, depending on the season.

“They all have documents. We kind of follow the law, as it is in New York, and hire them. And they're a great crew. A number of them been with us a long time, and that's a solid workforce. However, you know, they're a little on edge right now, the current situation with deportation potentials and things like that, there has been some activity around New York.”

While Skellie says he absolutely supports border security and the removal of individuals with criminal records, he also speaks up for the hard-working individuals who help to keep farms running every day.

“We're here to advocate for reform and a guest worker program for year round needs of agriculture. Currently, the age to a program only is accessible by seasonal needs and pretty much the fruit and vegetable industry.”

Tune in for part two tomorrow as I continue this conversation with AFBF Representative Mike McCarthy.