“If he would pay a decent wage, he could get legal people to pick them..”
No kidding. Why am I not surprised that the problem is the employers, not the folks they hire?
The employer has to outbid the government check. This could be more than the value of the labor, considering that the check is a free money, but the farmer will want a full day of hard work in the field.
Note that the checks are issued not based on capitalist, market values ("who works more gets more") but based on socialist values ("even if you don't work we will provide you with basic necessities for life.") Also note that those monies are taken from working people by force. The market doesn't work well if the game is rigged.