H-2A
Labor-retention strategies to help with labor costs
Philip Martin, a professor emeritus of agricultural and resource economics with the University of California, Davis, gives farm employers four broad strategies to deal with increasing labor costs: satisfy, stretch, substitute and supplement. Satisfy workers... more »
States find ways to deal with labor shortages
It’s hard to know the exact number of seasonal specialty crop workers in the United States, but Frank Gasperini thinks 1.5 million is a good estimate. Seasonal worker shortages have been an issue in the... more »
Legislators introduce Family Farm Relief Act
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Congressman Chris Collins (R-NY) have introduced the Family Farm Relief Act of 2017, legislation to move the H-2A Agricultural Visa program from the Department of Labor to the Department of... more »
Ag industry will watch Trump closely
As Donald Trump prepares to take the oath of office as the next president of the United States, the agriculture community is looking for clues on how his policies could impact the industry. Fruit Growers... more »
Minimum wage rates for H-2A workers updated
The Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor has announced the 2017 Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs) for the employment of temporary or seasonal nonimmigrant foreign workers (H-2A workers) to perform agricultural labor or... more »
H-2A wage rates projected for 2017
The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released core data that will be used to calculate the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) for 2017. The AEWR in Washington and Oregon will likely rise 5.44 percent... more »
Western Growers applauds USCIS streamlining of H-2A processing
While in Washington, D.C. for the Association’s Annual Board Fly-in, Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif has released a statement on announcements made by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the U.S.... more »
NASDA joins Farm Bureau in calling for faster H-2A processing
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) joined forces with the American Farm Bureau Federation to call on the federal government to alleviate H-2A processing delays. The H-2A program is a critically important... more »
More Michigan growers hiring H-2A workers
Michigan growers are taking the plunge into H-2A, and don’t appear to be turning back. It started with a pilot project in 2014, when four apple orchards hired 90 pickers. By 2015, Michigan Farm Bureau,... more »
DOL backup will delay H-2A workers
In late January, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced delays in H-2A and H-2B applications due to network issues. In early February, wafla, a human resources association for seasonal employers based in Washington state, began experiencing application... more »
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