An influx of immigrants into Wisconsin’s dairy industry is giving a new Hispanic flavor to rural areas.

Wisconsin’s dairies are expanding, and they can’t do it without immigrant labor. Part 5 in our Dairyland Diversity project.

Dairy farmers say they want access to immigrant workers without getting into legal trouble. But many lawmakers on Capitol Hill are running away from the issue.

Drivers beware: There’s a woman driving a stretch of Interstate 90 between Sparta and Tomah — without a license or any training about Wisconsin’s traffic laws.

They traveled 1,720 miles to work long hours on a dairy farm in western Wisconsin, among people who do not speak their language and in a place where their presence is illegal. Part 3 in our Dairyland Diversity project.

A growing number of Wisconsin dairy farmers are relying on immigrants to milk their cows and keep their farms running smoothly. But experts say farmers are often caught in a “don’t ask, don’t tell” web of federal employment regulations, with a strong incentive to know as little as possible about the legal status of their workers.