News and Events

Wisconsin’s August 11 partisan primary officially kicked off the sprint toward the November election. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley won the Democratic nomination for governor and will face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November. Congressional, legislative, and other races were also narrowed during the primary, making the coming months an important time for agriculture to keep rural and farm issues in front of candidates.

Infrastructure remains one of those issues. Wisconsin’s Agricultural Roads Improvement Program (ARIP) continues to provide significant resources for rural roads that directly serve agriculture. The 2026-27 biennium includes $120 million for the program, which can reimburse up to 90% of eligible costs to improve deteriorating Class B and weight-restricted roads, bridges, and culverts. For custom operators moving increasingly large equipment between farms, investment in local infrastructure remains especially relevant.

At the federal level, changes to the H-2A agricultural guest worker program are generally welcome news for employers. The U.S. Department of Labor revised its wage methodology, moving to occupation- and skill-based wage rates and recognizing employer-provided housing in calculating compensation. The change can reduce H-2A labor costs compared with the previous methodology, although rates vary by occupation, skill level, and state.

One major limitation remains: H-2A is still restricted to temporary or seasonal agricultural work. That makes the program of limited value to dairy farms needing year-round employees. Custom operators, however, may be better positioned to use H-2A because forage harvesting, manure application, planting, and other fieldwork can fit within a defined seasonal employment period. For businesses struggling to find seasonal employees, the changes make H-2A worth another look.