Ag Labor Is Essential
Tim Hammerich
News Reporter
Farmworkers are a vital backbone not just for the agricultural industry, but for America’s food supply as a whole. In recent years labor costs and availability have been concerns. Owyhee Produce owner Shay Myers says that while some improvements have been made, there are still risks and challenges associated with ag labor.
Myers… “ So I mean, during the last two or three years, the ability to get folks here has gotten better. They've streamlined the process. You can get it done. I got to tell you, it's still incredibly scary and risky to rely on the federal government and the whims of the federal government and the lawmakers to determine whether you have the necessary mandatory required workers to harvest your crops and to earn your livelihood. I mean, that's scary, but it is what's available to us today.”
Myers emphasizes the critical role that these farmworkers play in their day-to-day work.
Myers… “On our farm, if we're harvesting asparagus, every single asparagus spear is still picked by hand. There is literally no commercially available machine available to do that. The guys are driving tractors. They're driving trucks. They're irrigating farms. They're harvesting watermelons and picking sweet corn and packing onions and loading bins of watermelons. They're driving the forklifts, going on the trucks. I mean, they are in every single part of the supply chain, every single part from start to finish, and so they're absolutely necessary.”
Once again, that's Shay Myers of Owyhee Produce.
