Overview

• In Tioga County, where President Donald Trump won about 75 percent of the vote in 2024, farmers report selling off entire dairy herds and getting no responses to job listings as migrant labor disappears.
• The agricultural workforce fell by roughly 155,000 between March and July, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, while Pew Research Center estimates show about 750,000 fewer immigrant workers from January through July.
• Farmers say the H-2A visa program’s red tape, costs, and seasonal-only eligibility make it unusable for dairies, leaving many reliant on undocumented workers who now face heightened enforcement.
• Dairy farmer John Painter, a three-time Trump voter in Westfield, Pennsylvania, described longtime employees being detained and deported, deepening his staffing crisis.
• Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins contends domestic workers and automation can close gaps, but Pennsylvania Farm Bureau members warn milk production and harvesting are at risk without additional labor.