2017 Holds Many Changes for Owner/Operators

With the new year just a couple of weeks away, farmers, ranchers and other owner/operators are preparing for many changes.

Washington Growers League President Mike Gempler said, “There’s more pesticide safety regulations, higher wages, and then I think there’s going to be a lot of uncertainty in the area of immigration policy from the federal level with the new incoming Trump administration.”

Gempler said the mandatory use of the E-Verify system could be a requirement for anyone looking to hire immigrants and that would be a real shock to anyone who needs those options.

Higher wages, updates to worker protections and much more will tighten an already difficult labor market Gempler noted, but he does believe there is one thing that producers can do to get an advantage.

“Having housing is an asset for employees so you have a basic foundation of labor for your operation. That’s very, very important.”

Gempler does expect wages and labor costs to increase well beyond the new minimum wage of $11 per hour for the 2017 growing and harvest seasons.

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