Grow It Here Works To Highlight Labor Needs

A national coalition of American farmers has launched an advocacy campaign to highlight the country's growing farm labor shortages.

USDA data shows nearly 70% of crop workers from 2020 to 2022 were foreign-born, and the number of seasonal H-2A visa workers has increased more than seven-fold since 2005.  Kristi Boswell, former USDA official and current advisor to the Grow It Here campaign, says a strong, stable workforce is essential to keep farms in business and food affordable.

Use of H-2A Continues To Climb

“Many have turned to the H-2A Agricultural Visa Program, which provides farm employers with temporary and seasonal access to foreign labor," Boswell said.  "The program has grown exponentially out of sheer necessity, but the program is incredibly bureaucratic and expensive. As is often said, ‘you shouldn't have to hire a lawyer to hire a farm worker’. Also, as a seasonal program, the H-2A program is not available to fill year-round needs.”

The farm labor and H-2A struggles aren’t just a Northwest issue, but an issue for producers nationwide.  Brandon Batten, a North Carolina farmer, said the biggest threat to his operation isn't weather or markets, but a lack of workers.

Labor Is My Biggest Challenge

“Labor is my biggest challenge. Every year it seems to become more and more of a headache," Batten said.  "About a decade ago, out of necessity, we did transition to the H-2A program because the local workforce just was not available, was not reliable, and quite frankly couldn't get the job done. And as expensive and onerous as the program is, it's more expensive to plant a crop and not be able to get it harvested. In light of these labor challenges, we have mechanized our operation as much as we can to reduce reliance on labor. But with the high value crops and the crops we grow here in North Carolina, we have to have a certain amount to get those to the shelves.”

He added there's a lot of pressure to find help, leading to a lot of uncertainty and doubt.

“As a family farm, I am the HR department, I am the legal department, I'm the accounting department, and I rely on some of these people to help me get these workers here.”

A Variety Of Commodity Groups Want To See Ag Labor Reform

Grow It Here represents a variety of commodities, from livestock and dairy to fruits and vegetables.  It's planning listening sessions across the country to push for a more reliable workforce.

Click Here to learn more about the Grow It Here effort.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com