Dealing With H2-A & Noxious Weed Program

Dealing With H2-A & Noxious Weed Program

Dealing With H2-A & Noxious Weed Program. I'm Greg Martin with Washington Ag Today.

Recent immigration issues at the border has really highlighted the need for a comprehensive legal worker program. Many producers are trying to use the H2-A program and while it's not a great program, it is the only one we have. Roxana Macias is the Program Manager for the wafla Guest Worker Programs explains that the H2-A program is implemented by a series of government agencies.

MACIAS: Which by the way, none of them work together to help you out so you are working with each of them independently and none of them are responsible if something goes wrong.

She says the only person who suffers is the producer trying to hire the extra labor.

MACIAS: They're already investing on the front end a huge amount of money in housing, transportation getting the workers up here and all the expenses associated with the program itself and then on the day that you need them have your workers be stuck at the border because the government can't print a visa.

King County is offering a noxious weed program in several locations. Experts will be at the North Bend Farmer's Market at Si View Community Center on July 9 and on July 23 at Meadowbrook Farm in North Bend. Attendees can earn two credits towards recertification of their Washington State Department of Agriculture licenses.

And that's Washington Ag Today. I'm Greg Martin, thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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