NorCal Farmers: 'We Don't Have Enough Workers, Produce May Rot In Fields'

NBC11.com ^ | October 8, 2007

[SteveMcKing]

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Farmers in and around the Bay Area are starting to feel the pinch from tighter border security and visa requirements, NBC11's Daniel Garza reported Monday.

Some farmers told Garza they expect some of their fields to remain unpicked.

Some said they believe their fields will end up filled with rotting produce.

The Bush administration has learned of the possible loss of millions of dollars for thousands of farmers throughout the country, and is attempting to loosen visa requirements for workers.

However, farmers told Garza the attempt is "too little too late."

[NordP]

I agree...YOU GO TX GIRL! ;-)

[goodnesswins]

My in-laws own a commercial orchard in Oregon....there has been NO talk of shortages of workers.....other than now, the longtime foreman (Mexican who worked there for about 30 years) has retired, and it is proving difficult to find peole to do this. Course, the in-laws have the orchard for sale, and may be just not wanting to search right now...and they have it temporarily Leased to Caucasians who can’t afford to buy it, and don’t want to help in the search either.

[Brad from Tennessee]

During the summer of 1969, right after I was discharged from the military, much of the watermelon crop in South Florida ripened weeks before it normally did. Migrant workers who normally picked the melons were elsewhere on the harvest cycle they followed, picking some other crop. The melon growers ran ads in Florida newspapers offering $4 an hour cash to anyone who would come and pick. I lived in Orlando at the time. A friend and I drove down to Omokolee where we joined hippies, college students, young and old black people, and all variety of people to pick melons for a week. We slept in the car some nights and shared a cheap hotel room with other workers. All the melons got picked. We made a lot of money. The minimum wage was about $1.30 an hour then.

[upsdriver]

Either end welfare payments so more people HAVE to work or let the damn crops rot.

[Squeako]

The workers staged a rebellion because my son-in-law expected them to work as hard as he was working and they were having none of that.

Come on, haven't you heard that these are just hard-working, family-values workers? A Republican president said so, so it must be true. Don't try to confuse us voters with your hyperbole.

As a matter of fact, FReeper Dane today called such a person a "Christian Jose" (while maligning the present-day Japanese for the crimes of their fathers).

[elpadre]

Years ago they had a good program - I think it was called the “bracero” program whereby the farmer associations were permitted to arrange with labor companies who hired Mexicans, brought them in to do the farm work and then return them to their homes in Mexico. No families were involved - just workers who were provided food and shelter and transportation to and from and, of course - wages.

Then the farm unions entered the picture, convinced the workers they were being exploited, and presto - a good program comes to an end.

[biscuit jane]

“This is very intensive, hand picking, back breaking work.
Not condusive to machinery.”

Make no mistake machinery can do the job.

There are many examples of crops being harvested by machinery, however the farmers have been doing things a certain way for so long they have had NO INCENTIVE to change. I live here in produce-land and I see the crops and the workers and the machines. Farmers are very innovative when they want to be. UC Davis is a major AG university, those brainiacs can develop a resolution for any of these issues.

[biscuit jane]

“Years ago they had a good program - I think it was called the “bracero” program whereby the farmer associations were permitted to arrange with labor companies who hired Mexicans, brought them in to do the farm work and then return them to their homes in Mexico.”

Came a time when they wouldn’t go back. Then the Mexican government relalised what great deal they had- send the
low level worker north and instant pressure valve= no Mexican Revolucion.

[Gritty]

We still have 38 million illegals in this country. Why can't some of them pick the vegetables?

Or, have they found other higher paying jobs Americans "won't do" and moved on to occupations?

[biscuit jane]

“So either pay people better or open Pick Your Own Produce farms.”

Here in my region tourists and locals alike love the pick-ur-self produce ! I myself just did a grape harvest in exchange for 6 bottles of cheap red wine and a good lunch.
Grower got all his grapes picked in one day and didn’t have to pay work-comp, wages, payroll taxes etc. plus he unloaded a bunch of second rate wine and provided a simple bbq plate lunch.

[Cinnamon Girl]

There are other people willing to work. LEGALLY. My sister brings in workers from Jamaica every year. LEGALLY.

[LouAvul]

Pay enough, and you will get workers.

I lived in the valley till recently and let me tell you, these farmers are worth millions.

They've got the freaking money but are sending DC a sob story cause they want slave labor.

I'll do without their bloody produce, thank you. They can all go pound sand.

[elpadre]

only after the union took over - before it worked well - I believe their pay was provided on return to Mexico. I worked for a company that serviced equipment for the farmers in the San Juaquin valley in 1950 before Uncle Sam sent me to Korea.

[theymakemesick]

Your post is the inspiration for my new tag line, I can’t believe our country has come to this.

[theymakemesick]

"Or, have they found other higher paying jobs Americans "won't do" and moved on to occupations?"

No, they haven't found higher paying jobs that "Americans won't do", they've just undercut their wages. But then we all know that, it's just that our government doesn't care.

[Professional]

I doubt anyone will read my comment, but here goes.

Lots of Mexicans are now in Canada, as the currency issue, and an abundance of jobs up there, is a better deal. Also, you simple have a situation where the economy in Mexico just might be good enough to keep folks at home???

One of my best friends is in AG in E Washington. As far as machinery goes, nothing replaces the human hand, to keep fruits from breaking and bruising.

Finally, it is beyond silly and STUPID to think that just because you raise wages to a “livable standard” that your average educated American has even the slightest interest in picking fruit for a frickin living. Get real why don’t you?

Oh, yeah, and like the welfare crowd would do it, just because it paid decent? Nothing better than being paid to do nothing, in their minds.

[Qout]

Don’t worry, food prices won’t rise all that much. American farmers still have to compete on a global scale. If they can’t find anyone here to pick it for a pittance, we’ll just import more food from Chile or Costa Rica or somewhere else south of the border. America is already a net importer of food.

It’s easier to import food. Importing cheap food is fast and legal. Importing cheap labor is either illegal or slow and cumbersome.

And its easier to grow energy crops than food crops. Public policy has put energy independence ahead of food independence. Maybe next year these farmers will learn their lesson and grow more corn and fewer carrots.