Labor
Vertical farming operator Oishii brings robotics to indoor farming
Oishii, a vertical farming operator, is partnering with a Japanese robotics firm to bring vertical farming changes. Together with Yaskawa Electric Corp., a leading industrial robotics company based in Japan, Oishii plans to develop new... more »
Leadership development focus of ASTA June conference
The American Seed Trade Association’s (ASTA) summer leadership conference heads to the capitol of the Golden State to provide takeaways on the outlook of the U.S. seed industry and U.S. agriculture. In its second year,... more »
House committee seeks answers on DOL H-2A delays
U.S. House and Senate Republicans are questioning the Department of Labor about what they say are “substantial delays” in processing agricultural employers’ requests for workers through the H-2A temporary visa program. In a May 25... more »
Farmworker health videos offered by UGA Extension
University of Georgia Extension is releasing a series of videos to promote farmworkers’ health and wellbeing. The video series is in Spanish and English. UGA is part of a national effort to improve farmworker health.... more »
Florida’s new immigration law ignites panic in ag community
A new immigration law recently signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is reported to be creating panic in the state's agricultural operations. The new law is expected to produce a wide-ranging impact on a variety... more »
Organic food sales hit record $61.7 billion in US in 2022
Organic food sales in the U.S. topped $60 billion for the first time in 2022, almost doubling 2021’s growth and now accounting for 6% of total food sales in the nation. The 2023 Organic Industry... more »
Michigan members of Congress oppose H-2A fee hikes
A bipartisan group of U.S. representatives from Michigan are asking the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reconsider proposed fee increases for employing ag workers in the H-2A temporary visa program. On top of increases... more »
Grower spending on automation jumps to $500K
Growers are spending an average of $500,000 a year on automation in response to the persistent ag labor shortage, according to the Specialty Crop Automation Report from Western Growers. This is the second year the Specialty... more »