ag labor

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 »

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 »

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 »

PickTrace offers webinar on ag employment laws

PickTrace, whose workforce and productivity management software solution is designed for growers, is presenting a webinar on being prepared for audits from the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour division. The 1.5-hour PickTrace webinar is... more »

Georgia Senate recognizes farmworkers

Georgia senators passed a resolution to recognize March 25-31 as Farmworker Awareness Week. Sen. Sam Watson, co-owner of Chill C Farms, Moultrie, spoke about the importance of the 35,000 farmworkers who worked in Georgia fields... more »

French company testing hydrogen-fueled vineyard tractor

A French company has unveiled a hydrogen-fueled autonomous tractor designed for vineyard work. EXXACT Robotics showcased the TRAXX Concept H2 at World FIRA 2023, an agricultural robotics conference in mid-March in France. As the innovative... more »

NCAE webinar focuses on labor program wages

The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) is presenting the second installment of its educational webinar series focusing on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new Adverse Effect Wage Rate regulation. The webinar will be moderated... more »

Be prepared for the inevitable H-2A labor audit

In the waning days of the lame-duck session of Congress, there was still hope in some corners of the fruit and vegetable industry that legislators would include immigration and ag labor in the omnibus bill.... more »

USDA session tackles H-2A, labor shortages

To combat increasing labor shortages, growers are adapting labor-saving technology and modifying their cultivation practices, including lessening and delaying pruning and weeding. The gravity of the crisis was highlighted in a session at the Feb.... more »

Biologicals summit focuses on next-gen tools

A new event is designed to raise awareness of biological solutions that are available to fruit and vegetable growers to enhance soil and plant health. The Salinas Biological Summit is set for June 20-21, at... more »