9-13 IAN Workforce

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says his idea of comprehensive immigration reform would have to secure the border, create opportunities for an earned pathway to citizenship for those already here and focus on specific aspects of the economy - such as agriculture - that are dependent on an immigrant workforce. Vilsack says more farmers and growers across the U.S. are beginning to pull back due to the uncertainty of the immigration policy. Sarah Marie Frey-Talley - Owner of Frey Farms Produce in Illinois - says many growers have reduced their operations because they have been unable to secure an adequate harvest workforce. "We really need to remain unified and get the message out to the public as to how this impacts their lives and their food supply. With such a focus on locally grown commodities and consumers wanting to support local farms and by local fresh fruits and vegetables, it is important that growers have access to an adequate workforce. What we have seen in my industry on both a small and large scale, many fresh produce companies have actually moved to Mexico where they do have an adequate labor supply. So we are actually importing more of our fresh fruits and vegetables now because of the lack of access to an adequate work force." What happened to all of those unemployed Americans? So sad.