AGRICULTURE: Local farms, wineries feel effects of a labor shortage

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.grandislandrecord.com/local/gnnlocalnews_story_152235815.html

Published: May 31, 2008 11:58 pm

By Joe Olenick
E-mail Joe
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

LOCKPORT — BY JOE OLENICK

[e-mail]

Some local farms and wineries are having a problem with finding labor — the result of immigration issues and a shrinking pool of migrant workers.

Jim Bittner of Singer Farms in Appleton said his farm is doing OK for now, but is making changes to compensate for the cost of the missing labor. He had to cut back on growing cherries and peaches because there isn’t enough help to pick them. Labor comprises about 50 percent of the costs of growing cherries and peaches.

“We’re nervous as heck. We barely made it last year with enough help,” Bittner said. “It’s more a fear of the unknown. We’re hoping Washington, D.C., gets serious about it.”

Bittner said his biggest labor need is when the apples are in season, which is about the first two weeks of September. The problem with growing fresh produce is the fruit has to be picked at a certain time. And there just aren’t enough hands to pick.

“We made a decision in January not to plant as much,” Bittner said. “A lot of fresh market produce has to be picked in a timely fashion. Otherwise it turns too ripe or not ripe enough.”

He added Singer will be growing blueberries, as well as tart cherries, that can be picked by machines, not workers.

FULL story at link.

[FreakinDJ]

1. BULL-SHIT Play by the rules

We need more LEGAL H2B visas and less demand for illegal immigration

These fucks want to import illegal workers and dump their legal liabilities, (Healthcare, worker's comp) on the tax payer

STOP PROSECUTING THE WORKERS AND PROSECUTE THE EMPLOYER STUPID

[Kali]

2. or pay enough to attract citizens

of course other citizens would then need to pay enough for the food to cover that...we are ALL complicit in this

[FreakinDJ]

3. We are paying the cost 3 fold already

When you add in the 20% increase in hospital expenses to cover "unreinbursed hospital cost", increases in Medical, Medicaid cost to cover "un-insured" worker/family injuries, plus other entitlement programs, it is net loss over paying fair wages to the farm workers

[DBoon]

4. and you are competing with foreign products

that do not have these costs.

The immigration of labor can't be divorced from international trade and investment.