I don’t feel sorry for the farmers.
Except for the fact that our government failed to enforce immigration law because the same farmers, chicken processors, food producers, and US Chamber of Commerce, churches, etc wanted cheap labor and new members at the expense of every American taxpayer. The Dem politicians also wanted beholden voters.
If the farmers had been using legal American workers that were paid a free market wage (enough to entice LEGAL workers to pick fruit) it would have resulted in higher fruit prices but a better and more employed and less costly America.
It also would have resulted in the development of automated mechanical pickers.
Hired a lot of labor to pick your orchards, have you? Please see my reply to Racer1 further down the thread.
It also would have resulted in the development of automated mechanical pickers.
Believe me, if there's a machine to work any crop, a farmer will have it. Even a little farmer. And somewhere an ag engineer is working to invent machines for every crop that's grown commercially.