Who will do the work? Large dairies struggle to secure labor
For decades, milking families have quietly wondered around kitchen tables and grandstanding politicians have obnoxiously made excuses for their actions and votes, each focused on the same topic: labor.
The Montana Stockgrowers Association hosted an Ag Labor Summit recently. Eastern South Dakota’s Drumgoon Dairy, a 6,500 head operation panicked as the U.S. Homeland Security deported over half of its labor force about nine months ago.
Drumgoon Dairy, big enough to be considered a “mega-dairy” is actually owned and operated by an immigrant couple. in 2006, Rodney and Dorothy Elliott left northern Ireland for the less-regulated dreamland of South Dakota, they said in a recent ‘Dairy Herd Management’ story. After losing 38 workers and maintaining just 12, the remaining employees worked nearly around the clock for a time, until more help could be found.
News | Feb 13, 2026
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