You folks have also all provided some very good information on this thread as well. Thanks for your excellent posts.
Check out these videos of lettuce and spinach being harvested at the Ramsey Highlander website. (Need Windows Media Player to view)
http://www.harvestingaid.com/video/video.htm
Heres a mechanical Lingonberry picker. I believe the Germans are the only ones in the world to have built one of these: If they can do it, then so can Americans.
http://www.fallcreeknursery.com/images/c-harvester.jpg
William of Carmichael noted this:
"They can stop progress with the stroke of a pen on a political contribution check."
It was pointed out to me recently by a tug boat operator, that all exported cargo on the Mississippi river is barged down to Baton Rouge,LA, where it is loaded onto ships.
The reason the ships can't go farther up the river?
That old corrupt Ratbastard politician - Huey Long got a fixed span bridge built at Baton Rouge. Thus guaran-damn-teeing lots of work for the Longshoreman's Union, in Louisiana.
Pretty good deal huh? Create twice as much work, loading and offloading cargo twice, all because of a DemonRat politician's stopping progress "with the stroke of the pen"
And Dat Mon the engineer points out that:
"When American industry is less competitive due to tax policies, an out of control legal system, and burdensome regulations, AND there is no quick payback / relief in the form of cheap labor, CONGRESS is forced to take action."
-As the great Ronald Reagan said: (paraphrased)
"If a business is making money, government taxes the profit out of it.
If the business keeps growing: Government regulates it's growth.
-and when it finally stops making money, and growing; government subsidizes it." (not exact quote)
Regards
Thanks for the video links. We could harvest our crop like that, but what would Congress do for votes (sarcasm), big business for cheap labor (cost of machine probably $100,000 versus $5.00 - $7.00 for illegal immigrants), and don't forget the lobbyists who would be unemployed due to not having their "special interests".
I've worked plenty of "nasty" jobs and it didn't make me feel degraded. When your hungry you'll just about work at anything...even picking produce (which definitely is not the worst job in the world).