11-15 FB No Pickers

 A different wrinkle when it comes to picking apples this year. In a recent conversation with Michael Stolp, ?Vice President – Market Research and Development  for NW. Farm Credit Services I was informed that there were more apples in the Northwest apple crop then there were apple pickers which led to a very obvious question. I’ll let you listen in on the dialogue between Michael and me.  “Explain that one. I am broke and haven’t had a job in 3 years. I know that there are jobs out there picking apples, why do I not as a white American, trying to be middle-class guy, answer the bell and start picking apples? That is a great question and I don’t know the answer other than what our field  staff tells us that as we look at Hispanic workers we see a number of those workers who are either obligated to other crops that were late or, as the season draws on, a number of people in that workforce return to Mexico and all of those things certainly constrain the availability of workers to pick apples. I cannot speak to the high unemployment numbers and why we wouldn’t find more of those workers finding their way to the orchards.