Ask any dairy producer about their greatest concerns for the future and, within minutes, the topic of labor will be mentioned. For U.S. dairymen, the issue of immigration will likely come within the same breath.

Late last year, an outstanding Illinois Holstein herd dispersed, but as the barn door closed, other doors opened up for Boyd and Sandy Schaufelberger and the legacy of Schaufine Farms.

If you employ foreign-born workers on your dairy, preparing in advance for a raid by ICE is a lot like buying insurance. You hope you never have to use it, but you want it to be there if and when it’s ever needed.

Form I-9 is required for all new hires in the U.S. – both citizens and non-citizens – and the federal government has the authority to audit, or check the accuracy, of an employer’s Form I-9 paperwork. Think of it this way: The government requires citizens to pay taxes and submit tax returns annually.

History of feedyard industry grows richer in Hereford, Texas From the name of the town’s newspaper, Hereford Brand, to the high school mascot, Hereford Whitefaces, almost every single aspect of life in this small Texas town is influenced by beef.

An unplanned catastrophe can strike a dairy of any size at any time. A tornado or fire could level facilities and kill livestock in a matter of minutes.

The panhandle of Texas is the heart of America’s largest cattle-feeding area. More than 6.5 million fed cattle are marketed here each year, accounting for 30 percent of the total U.S. production according to the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.

Immigrant labor is a necessity on today’s dairy. From small farms that employ one milker to dairies with hundreds of workers, producers are watching the Trump administration with caution and facing the daily reality of operating their business under a broken system of immigration.

Faculty at the University of Florida are exploring an alternative treatment for infections from an unlikely source: crustaceans. The shells of lobster, shrimp and crab are treated with an alkaline substance such as sodium hydroxide to produce chitosan (pronounced ky-to-san), a fibrous sugar with a chemical structure similar to cellulose.

“If you look at modern, large or expanding farms, the ‘big three’ headaches are transition problems, excessive calf death loss and mastitis,” points out James K. Drackley, professor of animal sciences at the University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign.