America’s Dairyland

Risking Workers’ Lives for the Milk We Drink

Dairy farms are some of the most dangerous job sites in America. Much of the labor is done by immigrants working on small farms that operate with little safety oversight.

Impact of Our Reporting

DOJ Reaches Agreement With Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office to Improve Services for People Who Don’t Speak English

by Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel

September 4, 2024, 2:00 pm EDT

The DOJ Is Working With a Wisconsin Sheriff to Improve How Deputies Communicate With People Who Don’t Speak English

by Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel

February 12, 2024, 5:00 am EST

Officials Approve $8 Million for Housing for Immigrant Dairy Workers in Wisconsin. Sheriff’s Office Will Try to Close Language Gaps.

by Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel

November 10, 2023, 3:11 pm EST

Officials Move to Address Problems Facing Immigrant Workers on Wisconsin Dairy Farms

by Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel

March 10, 2023, 7:00 am EST

19 stories published since 2023

Melissa Sanchez Honored with NAHJ’s University of Florida Award in Investigative Journalism

by ProPublica

July 17, 2024, 1:35 pm EDT
What You Need to Know If You’re Hurt While Working on a Wisconsin Dairy Farm

by Maryam Jameel and Melissa Sanchez, Illustrations by Edel Rodriguez, special to ProPublica

June 3, 2024, 5:00 am EDT
“America’s Dairyland” Wins Peter Lisagor Award

by ProPublica

May 28, 2024, 2:55 pm EDT
How a Fire on a Dairy Farm Led Us to More Than a Year’s Worth of Stories About Immigrant Dairy Workers

by Melissa Sanchez

February 29, 2024, 5:00 am EST
Immigrant Dairy Workers Often Endure Substandard Housing Conditions. The Law Doesn’t Protect Them.

by Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel

February 27, 2024, 5:00 am EST
“America’s Dairyland” Named Finalist for Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics

by ProPublica

February 13, 2024, 6:20 pm EST
When Immigrant Dairy Farm Workers Get Hurt, Most Can’t Rely on Workers’ Compensation

by Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel

December 22, 2023, 5:00 am EST
“Once You’re No Good to Them, They Get Rid of You”

by Maryam Jameel and Melissa Sanchez

December 20, 2023, 5:00 am EST
OSHA Investigates Small Dairy Farms So Rarely That Many Worker Advocates Don’t Bother to Report Deaths and Injuries

by Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel

November 13, 2023, 6:00 am EST
Dairy Workers on Wisconsin’s Small Farms Are Dying. Many of Those Deaths Are Never Investigated.

by Maryam Jameel and Melissa Sanchez

October 25, 2023, 5:00 am EDT
Why Some Wisconsin Lawmakers and Local Officials Have Changed Their Minds About Letting Undocumented Immigrants Drive

by Melissa Sanchez

August 11, 2023, 5:00 am EDT
Wisconsin’s Dairy Industry Relies on Undocumented Immigrants, but the State Won’t Let Them Legally Drive

by Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel

August 3, 2023, 6:00 am EDT
Following the Death of an 8-Year-Old on a Wisconsin Dairy Farm, Officials Look to Bridge Law Enforcement Language Gap

by Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel

June 9, 2023, 5:00 am EDT
How We Reached Workers While Reporting on Dairy Farm Conditions

by Charles Ornstein, ProPublica, Photography by Caleb Alvarado

May 26, 2023, 5:00 am EDT
Help ProPublica Journalists Investigate the Dairy Industry

by Maryam Jameel and Melissa Sanchez

February 23, 2023, 5:10 am EST
Death on a Dairy Farm

by Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel

February 23, 2023, 5:00 am EST

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