Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative issued a statement after Congress left any agricultural workforce legislation out of the omnibus spending bill voted on Dec. 23.
Earlier this month, Colorado Democrat U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet introduced the Affordable and Secure Food Act, similar legislation to the Farm Workforce Modernization Act that passed through the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2021.
Bennet’s new bill included changes to the H-2A program, allowing dairy farmers to access workers. It also provided a pathway to legal status for current workers should they meet certain criteria. The bill was introduced as an amendment to the omnibus, but Senate leadership ultimately did not allow a vote on the Affordable and Secure Food Act as part of the amendment process that took place earlier today.
“Edge is disappointed by the continued lack of action by Congress to address a growing concern among all U.S. farmers and agricultural businesses,” says Edge President Brody Stapel. “Farmers are facing a crisis in finding workers — one that threatens our food systems and the entire supply chain.”
In the Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2023, Wisconsin is getting more than $255.7 million in congressionally directed spending for projects ranging across roads, bridges and water infrastructure, workforce development, access to health and child care, and improvements for emergency services, to name a few.
For agriculture specifically, projects include $6 million for expansion of the facilities at the Marshfield Agricultural Research Station in Marathon County currently used by UW-Madison and USDA researchers, and $3.3 million for an agricultural museum and community gathering space at the Door County Granary.
See all the recipients here: https://www.midwestfarmreport.com/2022/12/28/255-million-coming-to-wisconsin/
Leave a Reply