ag labor

The Oregon Farm Bureau is warning the Ag and non-Ag industry alike of the detrimental impact House Bill 2548 would have on the entire farming industry.  OFB spokesperson Jenny Dresler says HB 2548 looks to create a Workforce Standards Board for Agriculture.  ...

As lawmakers in Olympia continue to debate ag labor, ag overtime and potential fixes for both issues, Save Family Farming says it’s vital ag country continues to speak up.  Dillon Honcoop with SFF said it’s an old adage but it’s true, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  And he said, especially w...

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins said farm labor costs have reached, in some cases more than 50% of expenses but still defends the president’s mass deportation policy.  Rollins makes no excuse for backing the president on reversing mass migration to the U.S.   “The...

At its 2025 Winter Policy Conference, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture called on Congress to develop comprehensive strategies to address agricultural labor challenges and border security.  The new policy item says comprehensive agricultural labor reform is needed to allow access to the H-2A program for year-round agriculture industries, creating a pathway to legal statu

Despite claims of providing economic relief for farmworkers, Save Family Farming says a proposal put forward by Washington state Senator Rebecca Saldaña fails to put money back in the pockets of workers.  Saldaña, Chair of the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, has put forward Senate Bill 5722, creating a new state grant to pay for ag overtime costs.  However, Dillon Honcoop with Sa...

According to a labor cost study for Washington Apples, labor costs consumed 99% of grower net returns per bin in 2023. That figure is considerably higher than the 37% per bin reported in 2013.  Mark Powers, President of the Northwest Horticultural Council said this data supports what growers have been saying for the past couple of years.  He said if t...

At this week’s convention, the American Farm Bureau adopted policies to guide the organization’s work in 2025.   “Policy priorities include everything from passing a new farm bill, enacting regulatory reform, and creating new markets for the men and women dedicated to keeping America’s pantries stocked,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall.     Recognizing the challen...

The 2025 Oregon Legislative Session gets underway next week in Salem.  And while the priorities for the farming community vary quite a bit, there will be several key issues discussed; water, regulation and overtime.  For Jeff Stone Executive Director for the Oregon Nurseries Association, overtime will be one of, if not the top issues.   “What we'r...

Demand continues growing for farm labor through the H-2A program.  John Walt Boatright, director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said that even though the increase in positions certified was small, it still demonstrates how important the program is.  ...

Farm employers face a variety of challenges right now, but one of the biggest is finding adequate labor and the cost of paying it.  And when it comes to H-2A reform, Kate Tynan, Senior Vice President at the Northwest Horticultural Council, said the biggest hurdle to overcome right now is costs as well as regulatory burdens.  But she...