[Robert DeLong]

Last time I checked 70% of our farm labor were American citizens. We have over 400 guest worker programs that allow people to come here temporarily to pick crops.

Well, not sure where you looked last or when you last looked, but according to the following response by AI:

This statement is incorrect. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the 2022 National Agricultural Workers Survey, only about 32–34% of hired crop farmworkers are U.S.-born citizens.

The majority of the agricultural workforce consists of immigrants:

66% are noncitizen immigrants, including those with and without work authorization.

Approximately 40–47% of hired crop farmworkers lack work authorization (are undocumented).

Only about 19% are authorized immigrants (such as green-card holders).

While roughly one-third of the workforce is American, the claim that 70% are citizens significantly overstates their proportion in the industry.

The following are the references from which AI got the information from:

https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2025/07/08/american-farmers-unauthorized-workers: Why American farmers rely on unauthorized workers

https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/63466: Legal status of hired crop farmworkers, fiscal 1991–2022

https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/potential-implications-of-immigration-restrictions-on-the-u-s-agricultural-workforce/: Potential Implications of Immigration Restrictions on the U.S. Agricultural Workforce

https://www.reddit.com/r/PoliticalDiscussion/comments/yc57x7/73_of_us_farm_labor_are_migrants_the_usda/: 73% of US farm labor are migrants. The USDA estimates that half are undocumented. Given the significance, why is this overlooked by conservative rural America?

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEconomics/comments/1ll7677/how_true_is_it_that_american_farms_would_be_able/: ow true is it that American farms would be able to find American workers for the right wage instead of relying on undocumented migrants?

What would be the right wage? Probably higher than most citizens could afford afford the additional costs that would add to fra products. An immigrant that will return home with what they are paid, will view that pay as moere than adequate, but I doubt citizens could prosper from the pay that the immigrants realizes.

Sorry for the delayed response, as I had actually typed this up, but got distracted by the pets, and never hit the post button. I also do not come here as often as I used to, because it's summer, and chores don't get done just because they exist. That requires hands-on involvement. 😁🤙

[Georgia Girl 2]

Even if those percentages have changed we still have the guest worker programs which allow for seasonal workers. They do not need to live here permanently.

[central_va]

He said citizens not American born.

No more work visas. Farmers can pay Americans or let their crop rot.