h-2a

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

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...

Cherries will take center stage, in central Washington Friday, during the 2025 Cherry Institute.  The day long even allows growers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Utah to talk about the past season, thoughts for the year head, trade and much more.  Preside...

A federal judge issued an injunction against the Biden administration’s expanded protections for farmer workers in the country under the H-2A program.  The injunction, issued by a U.S. District Judge in Kentucky, applies in Ohio, West Virginia, Alabama, and Kentucky.  Plaintiffs in...

With agricultural labor challenges across the entire sector, some farmers and ranchers are turning to a unique type of visa to alleviate the burden.  Samantha Ayoub is an associate economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation;   “TN visas are part of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agr...

Ag Organizations across the country are seeking a nationwide injunction against a new U.S. Department of Labor rule, allowing foreign farmworkers to form unions, as well as other considerable changes to the H-2A program.  A federal judge in Georgia has already blocked the DOL rule, “Improving Farmworker Protections” in 17 states, including Idaho.  In mid-September, a...

The International Fresh Produce Association and nine co-plaintiffs filed a lawsuit contesting the U.S. Department of Labor’s regulatory overreach and limitations on the freedom of speech of farmers who employ temporary workers.   “DOL is exacerbating an already enormously challenging labor crisis for growers and agriculture employers across the country. This lawsuit ch...

A federal judge blocked the U.S. Labor Department from enforcing a rule in 17 states that would prevent agricultural employers from retaliating against migrant workers with H-2A visas for joining labor unions.  Employers also couldn’t retaliate for workers organizing against wage theft, trafficking, and other abuses.   Courth...