Fewer hands in the fields

La Times ^ | June 18th 2011 | Richard Fausset

[Cardhu]

Contractor Don Pedro — like farmers across Georgia — is worried that the state's tough new immigration law is scaring away an illegal immigrant workforce.

Reporting from Wray, Ga. — It was a Tuesday afternoon at the height of blackberry season, and the Paulk family farm was short 100 pickers. It was Don Pedro's job to find them.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture this month released a survey of farmers who said they needed to fill more than 11,000 positions lasting from one day to a year. Critics of U.S. farming practices have long said Americans would take such jobs if they paid better.

Don Pedro said his job has never been so tough, nor workers so scarce. His boss had told the state Labor Department he needed pickers, but he had received no responses. He wasn't surprised, even though the jobless rate in Irwin County was 13%. Few here believe that native Southerners, white or black, wish to return to the land their ancestors once sharecropped or tended in bondage.

Pedro Guerrero, 54, the smiling, soft-spoken man in black cowboy boots whom everyone calls Don Pedro, was barreling down two-lane roads in a compact Chevy on a hunt for his own people. He was searching amid the trailers and tumbledown rental houses and mercados that have sprung up since the 1990s, when waves of Latinos began arriving in Georgia to harvest food, serve it in restaurants and scrape it from soiled plates.

Don Pedro kept one hand on the wheel. The other sorted paper scraps stuffed in the pocket of his Western shirt. On a flip phone, he punched in numbers for guys named Felipe and Miguel and Sixto, surfing an analog network of cousins and friends of friends and old sources who might know where the hard workers

[gusopol3]

We’ve been posting and reading these stories for years.

[Cardhu]

Thanks for all that very interesting information - there seems to be much more to this situation that most of us realize.

[Desdemona]

Mechanical crop sorting - harvesting machines will be the answer.

For fruit that is not only incredibly tender, but grows on a bush? Fruits and vegetables are not like grains. They have to be picked by hand, and it is hard, hot, nasty work. Machine picking would waste more fruit, in this case than it would save. Same for strawberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches and more.

[B4Ranch]

Are tomatoes picked by hand or mechanically?

[Desdemona]

Are tomatoes picked by hand or mechanically?

I'm not sure, but whatever machine used would have to have some pretty sophisticated programming. Where I live, they used to be picked by hand very early in the morning (with all luck, after a hot, humid night, otherwise they don't get good and ripe). The other thing to remember, is that fruit doesn't ripen all at once. You can be picking off the same tree, vine, crown or bush for a couple weeks. Anything mechanized would not be able to make that distinction. It would pick anything and everything, even stuff that has mold, is being eaten by pests, etc. There's a lot more to it than just picking.

[B4Ranch]

Tomatoes are now picked mechanically thanks to the illegal immigrant fuss in the early 60’s. Ceaser Chavez and his crowd. They are rock hard and solid green when picked out of the field. They go to the sorting shed where a group of ladies pull the damaged ones off the conveyor belt to be used as tomato sauce. The others get dipped in water to clean them then they are dried with an air blower. Sorted for size and packed. The ones sorted for grocery stores get gassed to turn them shiny red, then trucked to the stores. No, they are not flavorful but American mommies continue to buy them because they are taught to.

You can pick any berry or vegetable when they are rock hard, sort and sell them and American shoppers will buy them. Heck even the ones in the cans get most of their flavor from added spices and/or sweeteners.

I remember when the strawberry pickers were out of the fields by 10AM. Now the mechanical harvester doesn’t start until ten. They don’t want the morning dew on the raw berries.

[B4Ranch]

>>There is no obvious path to employment; I wasted an hour or so trying to search Google for seasonal or temporary farm jobs in Georgia with no luck.<<

It took me ten minutes to find this. Used Google and agricultural workers hiring jobs -regulations -Standards -rights

Farm Worker-Part-time. Serious individual for fruit orchard. Good for 2nd job, young retiree or others. Call Fred 8-9:30pm 203-272-6593

Farm Worker
About the Job
Turner Farms

12 Temporary Farm Workers needed. Employer: Frank Turner DBA Turner Farms - Daviess Co, KY. Tobacco, Straw/Hay, Row Crop, Row Crop Produce & Alternative Work. Employment Dates: 07/21/11 01/15/12. Wage of $9.48/hr. Worker guaranteed 3/4 of contract hours. Tools provided at no cost. Free housing provided to non commuting workers. Transportation & subsistence reimbursed when 50% of contract is met. Apply for this job at the nearest KY Office of Employment & Training Division of Workforce & Employment Services Office referencing the job order #KY0428389.

Job Order Number:
375151
* Job Title:
Farm worker
* Occupation:
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop
* Job Duration:
Over 150 Days
* Type of Job:
Temporary
* Full or Part Time:
Full Time (30 Hours or More)
* Job Position(s):
3
* Date Job Order Created/Updated:
02/10/2011
* Last Day Job Order Available Online:
08/01/2011
* Other Related Jobs:
View other Jobs Available for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop
* Supply and Demand:
View Competition for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop
*

Employer Information
Help for Employer Information. This link opens a new window.
* Employer Name:
Not Available
* Company Website:

* Principal Industry (NAICS):
All Other Grain Farming (111199)
* No. of Employees (Company Size):
1-4
* Type of Employer:
Private Sector
* Company Profile:
View Company Profile
Company Profile:
Small farm producing mainly grains

* Other Employers:
View Largest Employers of Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop
Job Requirements
Help for Job Requirements. This link opens a new window.
* Test Requirement:
No test required
* Hiring Requirements:
Drug Testing/Screening
* Minimum Education Level:
No Minimum Education Requirement
View Typical Education Requirements for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop
* Minimum Experience:
0 months
View Typical Work Experience Requirements for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop
* Driver’s License Certification Requirement:
No
* Job Skills:
View Employer Skill Requirements
Compensation and Hours
Help for Compensation and Hours. This link opens a new window.
* Salary Range:
$9.10 - $9.10 Hour

* Labor Market Wage Rates:

View Typical Labor Market Wage Rates for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop
* Pay Comments:
DOE (Depends on Experience)
* Hours per Week:
50
* Shift:
Day Shift
Work Site Information
Help for Work Site Information. This link opens a new window.
* City, State, Zip, and Country:
Bunkie, LA 71322 US

* Public Transportation Accessible:
No
* Worksite Industry (NAICS):
All Other Grain Farming (111199)
Job Description
Help for Job Description. This link opens a new window.
Farmworker needed from 04/01/11 to 12/15/11 to help with harvesting, and planting grains. They must operate the farm equipmnet and tractor as well assist us with farm repair and maintenance of equipment. (We will not be farming crawfish this year.) Call Sherry or Kevin Blood at 318-240-0958 or 318-240-0957 for a interview.

[Brandonmark]

"The large boxes hold 96 ounces of berries, and the fastest pickers fill five boxes an hour, earning $22.50 an hour before taxes."

I seriously doubt this. That would make the berries about almost $4/lb on labor alone. I get them in the store for about $3/lb. No farmer is taking that kind of loss.

That was information contained in the article, but you make a good point.

[Brandonmark]

"The large boxes hold 96 ounces of berries, and the fastest pickers fill five boxes an hour, earning $22.50 an hour before taxes."

I seriously doubt this. That would make the berries about almost $4/lb on labor alone. I get them in the store for about $3/lb. No farmer is taking that kind of loss.

That was information contained in the article, but you make a good point.

[Brandonmark]

"The large boxes hold 96 ounces of berries, and the fastest pickers fill five boxes an hour, earning $22.50 an hour before taxes."

I seriously doubt this. That would make the berries about almost $4/lb on labor alone. I get them in the store for about $3/lb. No farmer is taking that kind of loss.

That was information contained in the article, but you make a good point.

[hedgetrimmer]

Note that the pickers are paid by the hour, not the lb.

They can do very well if they are fast pickers.

[GizmosAndGadgets]

12 Temporary Farm Workers needed. Employer: Frank Turner DBA Turner Farms - Daviess Co, KY.

Interesting to see that Kentucky is having this problem, too, even though it's not one of the states in the news for passing recent laws about immigrant workers.

[GizmosAndGadgets]

Thanks for all that very interesting information - there seems to be much more to this situation that most of us realize.

Just some "food for thought" ;-)

[B4Ranch]

You forgot your sarcasm tag.

I’m confident the 12 Temporary Farm Workers job slots will be filled.

[B4Ranch]

IMO, minimum wage is for kids out of high school who have never held a job. If these men wanted to make money all they have to do is switch over to a quantity wage, ie. 50 cents a bushel or whatever the going rate is.

[FreedomPoster]

There is at least one more avenue to address the problem, all of which need to be used. Farmers need to invest in more automation / labor-saving machinery.

[GizmosAndGadgets]

You forgot your sarcasm tag.

I'm apologize if my reply seemed sarcastic to you. I meant no disrespect. I tried to carefully craft a response that acknowledged your research without making an issue of the fact that you supplied information about Kentucky farm jobs when the article and my comment addresses Georgia jobs.

[Brandonmark]

Note that the pickers are paid by the hour, not the lb.

Actually, according to the article, pickers are paid by the box, however by working harder and faster they can make more money (good old fashioned American productivity incentive):

"...he posted fliers advertising the new prices his boss, J.W. Paulk Jr., had just set in hopes of luring workers: $3.50 and $4.50 per box, depending on the size, up a quarter from a week before.

The large boxes hold 96 ounces of berries, and the fastest pickers fill five boxes an hour, earning $22.50 an hour before taxes. Most make considerably less."

So if my math is accurate on this, the farmer's labor cost is 75 cents a pound ($4.50 for 6 pounds) which should provide a reasonable profit for his investment and enable someone choosing to put in the extra effort money to pay for the basic needs of their family.

[B4Ranch]

Here we go,

Another five minute search

Georgia Department of Labor
Georgia One-Stop

Job Search Results

Sunday June 19, 2011 at 18:21:28 EDT
The following jobs are available in the Location, Category, and Type you selected. Select the job title in which you are interested for more specific information about that job.
Start New Job Search
Job Information System(JIS) Main Page
Search Parameters
Job Location: Statewide (all counties in GA)
Job Category: Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations
Job Type: All Job Types
Search Results
Job Category: Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations
Job Title Job
Type Number Of
Openings
ASSISTANT FARM MANAGER Full Time 1
BERRY PICKER Full Time 1
BLUEBERRY HARVESTER Full Time 1
BLUEBERRY PICKER Full Time 3
COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPER Full Time 1
CREW LEADER/CREW MEMBER Full Time 1
CUCUMBER HARVESTER Full Time 1
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop Full Time 3
FARM HAND Full Time 1
FARM MACHINE OPERATOR Full Time 2
FARM WORKER Full Time 2
FARM WORKER DIVERSIFIED II Full Time 2
FARMER’S Full Time 1
FARMWORKER Full Time 5
FARMWORKER Part Time 1
FARMWORKER DIVERSIFIED Full Time 1
FARMWORKER DIVERSIFIED II Full Time 1
FARMWORKER VEGETABLE Full Time 1
FARMWORKER, FRUIT II Full Time 1
FARMWORKER, PIGS Full Time 1
FARMWORKER, VEGETABLE I Full Time 1
FARMWORKERS, FARM AND RANCH ANIMALS Full Time 1
FIELD CROP WORKER Full Time 1
GRADER AND SORTER Full Time 1
HARVERSTER - BEANS Full Time 1
HARVERSTER - CANTALOUPE Full Time 1
HARVERSTER - SQUASH Full Time 1
HARVERSTER - WATERMELON Full Time 1
HARVEST WORKER, FRUIT Full Time 1
HARVESTER Full Time 1
HARVESTER - BLACKBERRY Full Time 1
LANDSCAPE LABORER Part Time 1
LOGGING EQUIPMENT OPERATOR Full Time 1
Nursery Workers Full Time 1
NURSERY TECHNICIAN Full Time 1
NURSERY WORKER Full Time 2
OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE Full Time 1
TOMATO HARVESTER Full Time 1
TRACTOR OPERATOR Full Time 1
TREE CUTDOWN WORKER Full Time 1
TREE PLANTER Full Time 1
ZOOLIGICAL OPERATIONS SUPERVIOR Full Time 1

[B4Ranch]

Here we go,

Another five minute search

Georgia Department of Labor
Georgia One-Stop

Job Search Results

Sunday June 19, 2011 at 18:21:28 EDT
The following jobs are available in the Location, Category, and Type you selected. Select the job title in which you are interested for more specific information about that job.
Start New Job Search
Job Information System(JIS) Main Page
Search Parameters
Job Location: Statewide (all counties in GA)
Job Category: Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations
Job Type: All Job Types
Search Results
Job Category: Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations
Job Title Job
Type Number Of
Openings
ASSISTANT FARM MANAGER Full Time 1
BERRY PICKER Full Time 1
BLUEBERRY HARVESTER Full Time 1
BLUEBERRY PICKER Full Time 3
COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPER Full Time 1
CREW LEADER/CREW MEMBER Full Time 1
CUCUMBER HARVESTER Full Time 1
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop Full Time 3
FARM HAND Full Time 1
FARM MACHINE OPERATOR Full Time 2
FARM WORKER Full Time 2
FARM WORKER DIVERSIFIED II Full Time 2
FARMER’S Full Time 1
FARMWORKER Full Time 5
FARMWORKER Part Time 1
FARMWORKER DIVERSIFIED Full Time 1
FARMWORKER DIVERSIFIED II Full Time 1
FARMWORKER VEGETABLE Full Time 1
FARMWORKER, FRUIT II Full Time 1
FARMWORKER, PIGS Full Time 1
FARMWORKER, VEGETABLE I Full Time 1
FARMWORKERS, FARM AND RANCH ANIMALS Full Time 1
FIELD CROP WORKER Full Time 1
GRADER AND SORTER Full Time 1
HARVERSTER - BEANS Full Time 1
HARVERSTER - CANTALOUPE Full Time 1
HARVERSTER - SQUASH Full Time 1
HARVERSTER - WATERMELON Full Time 1
HARVEST WORKER, FRUIT Full Time 1
HARVESTER Full Time 1
HARVESTER - BLACKBERRY Full Time 1
LANDSCAPE LABORER Part Time 1
LOGGING EQUIPMENT OPERATOR Full Time 1
Nursery Workers Full Time 1
NURSERY TECHNICIAN Full Time 1
NURSERY WORKER Full Time 2
OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE Full Time 1
TOMATO HARVESTER Full Time 1
TRACTOR OPERATOR Full Time 1
TREE CUTDOWN WORKER Full Time 1
TREE PLANTER Full Time 1
ZOOLIGICAL OPERATIONS SUPERVIOR Full Time 1