Lack of Workers Hurting Northwest Farmers

Mosby Farms, a vegetable operation south of Seattle, is a prime example of how the challenging farm labor market and immigration policies is hurting local farmers.

Burr Mosby said he’s very frustrated.

“We’re in America, you’re supposed to work hard and be able to produce something and get paid at the end of the day. Here we produce something, we grew it, and I don’t have enough hands to help me pick it and put it in a box and sell it to the grocery stores. That’s what hurts.”

Mosby said they have had to abandon fields and lose $100,000 because of the lack of a stable workforce.

Rosella Mosby said they need more options.

“We have a three-generation family that works on our first-generation farm. We almost have a sister like community with their community in Mexico. They farm there themselves. There’s an availability there but yet, not the availability of visas for those people to come work on our farm.”

Representative Bob Goodlatte has introduced a bill that would create a new guestworker program that he says is more flexible than the current H-2A program.