Labor

Economist: Farm operators scramble to secure labor

Editor's note: This is part of  a series of stories examining agriculture labor issues in 2018. The agriculture community is being impacted by the four S's: satisfy, stretching, substitution and supplementing, according to an agriculture... more »

‭Perdue addresses legislative options for ag labor reform

However discouraged growers feel about ag labor policy, the country’s top agriculture official is upbeat about the future. During a Feb. 1 visit to Michigan, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue discussed legislative work that’s shaping... more »

Inmates learn about specialty crops on farm

Georgia’s burgeoning fruit crop is not the only thing budding at the Mitchell County Correctional Institute in Camilla, Georgia. Among the inmates learning to care for a 100-tree grove there is a new sense of... more »

Collective bargaining suit nixed by New York judge

New York Farm Bureau is claiming victory in case that sought to create collective bargaining rights for farmworkers. The New York Farm Bureau statement read as follows: “New York Farm Bureau learned today that Judge... more »

More revisions set for Ag Worker Protection Standard

EPA's Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is aimed at reducing the risk of pesticide poisoning and injury among agricultural workers and pesticide handlers. The WPS offers occupational protections to over 2 million agricultural workers (people... more »

Colorado ag group asks senators to fix foreign worker program

The Colorado Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) met last week with the staff of Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and with Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., to appeal for quick legislative action to fix the current... more »

Worker Protection Standards subject of Michigan meetings

Three new Worker Protection Standards (WPS) requirements go into effect Jan. 2, 2018. In an effort to keep growers apprised of the new regulations, the Michigan State University Extension floriculture team has developed a one-day educational program... more »

New York forum features look at farm labor practices

The 2018 Becker Forum will take place on Jan. 15, one day prior to the opening of the Empire State Producers Expo. The forum will focus on agricultural workforce issues with three general themes: securing... more »