A dairy farm owner in Westfield, Wisconsin, is facing renewed attention after discussing her struggle to find workers for her farm. MAGA dairy farm owner,
Abby Swan, said she needs more employees to help care for about 300 cows. However, she also said she rejected a job applicant who requested $20 an hour and free housing.
The comments have sparked a wider discussion about farm labor shortages, wages, immigration and the rising cost of running a dairy farm in the United States.
What happened at the Wisconsin dairy farm?
First of all, Swan shared a video discussing the difficulties of running her dairy farm in Westfield, Wisconsin.
She said she has been working about 80 hours each week. Initially, she relied on local students to help with farm work.
However, those students returned to school. As a result, Swan said finding enough workers became even more difficult.
To begin with, the farm has a demanding daily schedule. Swan said the cows need to be milked twice a day.
Therefore, managing the farm alone is not realistic.
Why did Swan reject the $20-an-hour request?
Next, Swan explained that one applicant wanted $20 per hour and free housing.
According to Swan, she told the applicant to “get bent.”
She said the farm could not afford to pay $20 an hour. She also said she did not have housing available for employees.
Meanwhile, Swan continued to say that farmers across the United States are dealing with similar challenges.
In other words, she believes the problem is larger than her individual farm.
Farmers face rising operating costs
After that, Swan discussed the financial pressure facing her dairy operation.
She said the cost of seed, fertilizer and diesel fuel has increased. Additionally, she said delivery drivers and milk haulers can add diesel surcharges.
Furthermore, dairy farmers have ongoing costs related to caring for cows and maintaining milk quality.
For example, a farm must pay for labor, feed, equipment, fuel and other operating expenses.
Consequently, even when a farm has customers and produces milk, higher expenses can reduce the money available to pay workers.
The gap between milk costs and returns
Jeff Ditzenberger, founder and president of the nonprofit Talking, Understanding, Growing and Supporting (TUGS), discussed the financial pressure on dairy farmers.
According to the information cited by The Mary Sue and Spectrum News, Ditzenberger said producing milk can cost farmers around $20 to $21 per hundredweight while farmers may receive about $16.50.
Thus, the difference between production costs and returns can create significant financial pressure.
Specifically, this can make decisions about wages more difficult for smaller farm operations.
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Why immigration became part of the discussion
Later, the online discussion moved beyond wages and into immigration policy.
Some commenters argued that Swan’s worker shortage was connected to political views associated with Donald Trump and immigration enforcement.
However, that interpretation came from commenters and should be distinguished from Swan’s own explanation of her situation.
Swan said farmers are struggling to find employees and are also dealing with difficult financial conditions.
Farm workers and immigration
The U.S. agricultural workforce has a large immigrant population.
The Guardian reported that more than 2.6 million farm workers are employed in the United States, with 73% identified as Hispanic. It also reported that many agricultural workers are immigrants.
Likewise, immigration policy can be an important issue for industries that depend on agricultural labor.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in June 2026 that dairy farms may use the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program when they meet the applicable requirements for temporary or seasonal agricultural labor.
This provides another legal pathway for some farms seeking workers.
Swan responds to criticism
Meanwhile, Swan faced questions online about her political views.
In a separate video shared online, she reportedly responded to questions about her voting record.
Swan said she would not vote for a Democrat, liberal, socialist or communist.
However, her political views and the reasons for her labor shortage are separate issues that should not automatically be treated as the same thing.
For instance, a farm can experience labor shortages because of several factors, such as wages, working conditions, location, housing availability, labor supply, immigration policy and farm finances.
Similarly, farmers can have different political views while facing many of the same economic challenges.
The bigger issue for dairy farmers
To illustrate the broader problem, dairy farming requires workers to perform physically demanding tasks every day.
Cows must be fed, cared for and milked on a regular schedule.
Unlike some jobs, dairy work cannot simply stop for a weekend or holiday.
Therefore, a shortage of workers can quickly become a serious operational problem.
Besides labor, farmers must also manage fuel, equipment, animal care and other expenses.
As well, milk prices can affect whether a farm has enough money left after covering production costs.
What happens next for the Wisconsin farm?
Swan said she hopes to keep her dairy farm operating.
However, she also expressed concern about the future because of high expenses and the difficulty of finding employees.
Accordingly, the situation highlights a larger question facing American agriculture: how can farms attract enough workers while remaining financially sustainable?
Namely, the issue involves both the supply of agricultural workers and the economics of farming.
What this story means for U.S. agriculture
Finally, the Wisconsin dairy farm dispute has become part of a much larger conversation about American agriculture.
The discussion involves wages, worker shortages, immigration, milk prices and rising farm expenses.
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In particular, the story shows how a single hiring decision can become part of a national debate.
At the same time, the available information does not establish that one factor alone caused Swan’s labor shortage.
Instead, the situation involves several competing economic and labor issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the MAGA dairy farm owner?
The farm owner discussed in the story is Abby Swan, a dairy farmer in Westfield, Wisconsin. She has spoken publicly about the challenges of finding workers for her farm.
Why did Abby Swan reject a $20-an-hour job applicant?
Swan said the applicant requested $20 per hour and free housing. She said she could not afford the requested wage and did not have employee housing available.
How many cows does the Wisconsin dairy farm have?
Swan said her dairy farm has about 300 cows that need to be milked twice each day.
Why are dairy farms struggling to find workers?
Several factors can affect agricultural labor availability, including wages, working conditions, housing, location, immigration policy and the financial condition of farms.
What are some of the biggest costs for dairy farmers?
Major costs can include animal care, feed, fuel, fertilizer, equipment, maintenance and labor. Rising operating costs can place additional pressure on farm businesses.
Can dairy farms use the H-2A worker program?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in June 2026 that dairy operations may use the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program when they meet the program’s applicable requirements.
Is the worker shortage caused by immigration policy?
Immigration policy has been part of the public discussion about agricultural labor shortages. However, Swan’s situation involves several factors, and claims about the specific cause of her farm’s shortage should be distinguished from comments made by people online.
Where is Westfield, Wisconsin?
Westfield is a city in Marquette County, Wisconsin, in the United States.
Final thoughts
The Wisconsin dairy farm story highlights the difficult balance between farm expenses and the cost of hiring workers.
Moreover, the debate has expanded into questions about immigration and politics.
Yet the underlying agricultural challenge remains important: farmers need enough workers to operate their farms, while workers need compensation and working conditions that make difficult agricultural jobs worthwhile.
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SOURCE: THE MARY SUE