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I have friends that have lived, worked and farmed in Watsonville, CA for a long time. My wife's grandfather has also farmed in MI for decades. The consensus is
by up_and_up 10y ago
I have friends that have lived, worked and farmed in Watsonville, CA for a long time. My wife's grandfather has also farmed in MI for decades. The consensus is that farm-workers are getting harder and harder to come by. There is a labor shortage. This shortage has encouraged the investments and greater interest in picking technologies.
So to reframe, there are fewer farm workers anyway, due to better border control, lack of interest, or whatever and the picking technologies become more useful.
- enraged_camel 10y ago>>There is a labor shortage. This shortage has encouraged the investments and greater interest in picking technologies. It's funny how it hasn't encouraged paying people more.
- up_and_up 10y agoIts tough to raise the price of an agricultural product to accommodate for higher wages. The market sets the price. Plus its literally backbreaking work. Illegals would rather hang drywall, paint houses or whatever and make 50% more.
- leereeves 10y agoAnd it's an international market. Pickers in America are competing against the cost of labor in developing nations.
- nradov 10y agoThere is no shortage of farm workers any more than there is a shortage of gold bars. Employers are simply unwilling to pay the market price.