American Dairy Coalition Inc.
PO Box 10976, Green Bay, WI 54307-0976
Telephone: 1.920.965.6070
E-mail: info@americandairycoalitioninc.com
ADC Founder, Laurie Fischer and Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan
- Sustain a reliable stable workforce (a dairy guest worker program)
- Protect dairy business investment and create greater certainty for development (streamline and reduce EPA overreach)
- Increase consumer trust and confidence in milk through innovation, entrepreneurship and compassion
Representing the united voice for America's milk producers, processors and supply chain committed to growth and expansion through federal dairy policy and growing worldwide demand for American dairy products.
Your Trusted Voice
We are the voice of progressive, modern dairy, livestock and agriculture farmers in the nation. We are an industry organization led by farmers. This ensures those most effected by governmental policy have a vehicle to protect their interest and ensure the growth and future livelihood of the industry. The American Dairy Coalition focuses on federal dairy, agriculture, and livestock policy. Successful policy making, in order to best serve our industry, must start in Washington. We focus only on top priority issues in order to remain nimble and quickly adapt to the ever changing federal policy making environment. To ensure the dairy, livestock and agriculture industry’s voice is heard, a consistent presence on a federal level is vital, not only to make sure the right policies are passed, but to ensure they remain protected from activist’s attempts to overturn them.
- Introduce coalition members and our issues to key federal and state policy makers and educate them about ADC’s objectives and why our objectives are so critical to the future of dairy farming in the United States
- Real-time updates to coalition members on critical federal policy changes, regulatory rules, and farm situations
OUR GOALS
OUR MISSION
OUR COMMITMENT
INDUSTRY COMMENTARY
We Need Immigrants With Skills. But Working Hard Is a Skill.
Jeff Flake | The New York Times
House Approps approves H2A, a farm group opposes
Tri-State Livestock News
How Green Valley Dairy Focuses on Sustaining Profitability
Mike Opperman | Farm Journal's MILK
Dairy farms, businesses honored for sustainable practices
Dave Natzke | Progressive Dairyman
Dairy industry waits for federal government to act on immigration
Laurie Fischer, ADC | Midwest Agriculture Almanac
Rep. Ken Buck says his visa bill is focused on labor reality, not fear
David O. Williams | The Tribune
Yes, but who is going to milk the cows?
Laurie Fischer, ADC | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Ron Johnson introduces bill to create state-run guest worker program
Jessie Opoien | The Capital Times
Allow peaceful, law-abiding working immigrants out of the shadows
Laurie Fischer, ADC | The Hill
DAIRY Act expands H-2A for year-round use
Jacqui Fatka | Feedstuffs
Rep. Duffy introduces new immigration reform policy
Wisconsin State Farmer
Dairy farmers focused on policy and price at Central Plains Dairy Expo
Michelle Rock | Agweek
Dairy Groups Calls Labor Shortage a Crisis, Wants Immigration Reform (article + audio)
WNAX Radio | Featuring Laurie Fischer, ADC
Laurie Fischer, ADC | Progressive Dairyman
200 Organizations Remind President of Rural Infrastructure Needs
Press Release from Farm Credit Council
Letter signed by ADC
Immigration enforcement executive orders causing fear
Featuring commentary from Laurie Fischer, ADC
Jacqui Fatka | Feedstuffs
What To Do If ICE Comes Knocking
Featuring commentary from Laurie Fischer, ADC
Anna-Lisa Laca | Farm Journal's MILK
Immigrant labor: Policy changes, some hype heightening dairy concerns
Featuring commentary from Laurie Fischer, ADC
Dave Natzke | Progressive Dairyman
Dairy Industry Groups React Favorably to Perdue USDA Nomination
Jim Dickrell | Farm Journal's MILK
2017: Some ideas and opportunities
John Oncken | Wisconsin State Farmer
American Dairy Coalition: a year in review & the future! (audio interview)
Ag Inspirations
Wisconsin needs immigrants to fuel growth
Wisconsin State Journal editorial
American Dairy Coalition Grows
Larry Lee | Brownfield Ag News
All farmers should share their stories to build understanding
Bill Eberle | Fond du Lac Reporter
Mexico is huge market for Wisconsin cheese
Laurie Fischer, ADC | Wisconsin State Journal
Donald Trump’s Deportation Plan Could Devastate The U.S. Farm Industry
Featuring commentary from Laurie Fischer, ADC
Joseph Erbentraut | The Huffington Post
It Seems to Me: CAFO rap unfair
Kristin Solum | Leader-Telegram
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Go to https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials and write a short e-mail message or call all of your Representatives and Senators, asking them to support and co-sponsor The Agricultural Guestworker Act of 2017 (information below). This is a MUST! Your voice does matter and it is necessary that legislators hear loud and clear we need this bill to pass.
Agricultural Guestworker Act (AG Act)
The American Dairy Coalition applauds the outstanding effort by Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Representative Bob Goodlatte’s (R-VA) Agricultural Guestworker Act of 2017 (AG Act). This bill provides a workable solution for the United States of America’s nourishment production industry. The AG Act is desperately needed by the dairy, livestock and agriculture industry who need a reliable workforce to remain in business and provide the safe, affordable and abundant food supply that American consumers demand along with affordable nutrition for people across the globe.
The Agricultural Guestworker Act (AG Act) replaces the impractical H-2A program with a sensible guestworker program. The new visa catagory (known as H-2C) is designed to boost the modern agricultural labor market as needed.
• The AG Act eliminates bureaucratic red-tape. The program will be administered by the USDA which understands the unique needs of America’s farm and ranch operations and the challenges of processing raw, perishable agricultural commodities.
• The AG Act is market-driven and adaptable. By offering workers and employers more choices in their employment arrangements, the Ag Act offers flexibility and makes it easier for workers to move freely throughout the marketplace to meet demands. With limited exceptions, H-2C workers can be employed under contract or at will.
• The AG Act reduces costly and abusive litigation.
- Unlike the Senate bill, the AG Act does not give guestworkers a new, private right of action to sue farmers and ranchers in federal court.
- In response to unremitting criticism of the behavior of taxpayer- funded Legal Services Corporation (LSC) attorneys from every corner of the countryside, as well as from LSC’s own Office of Inspector General, LSC attorneys are not permitted to participate in lawsuits against the H-2C employers.
• The AG Act eliminates the Adverse Effect Wage Rate once and for all. Under this program, employers will pay guestworkers minimum wage + 15%, not a wage dreamed up by Labor Department bureaucrats.
• The AG Act creates a modern and streamlined agricultural guestworker program. Under the program, registered agricultural employers will attest to their need for workers when efforts to recruit U.S. workers do not yield the help they need.
• The AG Act recognizes that not all agriculture jobs require the same level of skill and experience. This program gives employers the opportunity to invest their time training workers for specialized or hard to fill jobs by allowing workers an initial stay of 36 months.
• The AG Act does not require growers to train and hire unneeded workers after their workforce is established and work begins (thereby eliminating the often-abused “50% rule“.)
• The AG Act gives employers the option of providing housing and transportation to workers.
• The AG Act serves the diverse interests of the agriculture industry. The adaptable program will support aquaculture operations, dairies, food processors and other year-round agricultural employers. The Agricultural Guestworker Act provides farm labor stability. The bill will encourage illegal farm workers to identify themselves, participate in the program (to the extent that work is available), and return home to re-establish ties to their home countries.
• The AG Act requires a maximum periodic touchback of 45 days. The worker can accumulate time outside the U.S. toward the touchback total during the initial 36 months of their visa.
Download additional information about the AG Act here.