4 ms·

Even at wages closing in on 3x minimum wage, we cannot get enough farm labor[1] - obviously low skilled American labor still doesn't want the job. What's the so

by Qworg 8y ago

Even at wages closing in on 3x minimum wage, we cannot get enough farm labor[1] - obviously low skilled American labor still doesn't want the job. What's the solution? [1] https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fi-farms-immigration/ https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fi-farms-immigration/

rhexs 8y ago
Pay more, else go out of business. Why do I, the American taxpayer, need to subsidize already heavily subsidized farmers?
- Qworg 8y ago
  How are you subsidizing them? You're getting cheap food - truck crop farming is notoriously low margin. Are you prepared for $15/pint strawberries?
  - rswail 8y ago
    As an Australian, this is funny. Your Dept of Agriculture is one of the most socialist "redistributors of wealth" in the world. Annual subsidies to US farmers is of the order of $25B+ per year. This includes non-tariff barriers such as price supports for sugar, import barriers and quotas such as on lamb and beef, export supports, crop insurance and other benefits. The DoA has been doing this for 75+ years and the majority of farms are now corporate-owned. The majority of these taxpayer subsidies are directed straight into the hands of corporate shareholders.
    - dragonwriter 8y ago
      > Your Dept of Agriculture is one of the most socialist "redistributors of wealth" in the world. Redistribution from the many to the wealthy few isn't socialist redistribution.
  - mc32 8y ago
    Strawberry pints from farms which do not utilize unregulated workers come in typically at about $6 to $7 pint. They’re typically smaller scale, so large scale can have them at retail for around $5. If that helps all of us, the farmer the temporary worker and consumers, I don’t see a problem with it. Strawberries and such aren’t staples like wheat and rice (highly mechanized and automated).
    - dragonwriter 8y ago
      > Strawberry pints from farms which do not utilize unregulated workers There is no such thing as “unregulated workers”, just employers that don't obey the regulations applicable to their workers.
    - Qworg 8y ago
      How do you know that they're not using undocumented people? That also says nothing of the price increase as the pool of documented farm labor dries up.
- adrianN 8y ago
  The ability to grow food in the country has pretty high strategic value. If you let your farmers go out of business your country loses domain knowledge in farming.
lorenzhs 8y ago
Because farm work isn't really low skilled. Sarah Taber did an excellent Twitter thread on this: https://twitter.com/sarahtaber_bww/status/1075981910856425472 https://twitter.com/sarahtaber_bww/status/107598191085642547...
- Qworg 8y ago
  I agree, but they can't even get unskilled labor into the pool at that price.

by Qworg 8y ago

rhexs 8y ago

Pay more, else go out of business. Why do I, the American taxpayer, need to subsidize already heavily subsidized farmers?

Qworg 8y ago
How are you subsidizing them? You're getting cheap food - truck crop farming is notoriously low margin. Are you prepared for $15/pint strawberries?
- rswail 8y ago
  As an Australian, this is funny. Your Dept of Agriculture is one of the most socialist "redistributors of wealth" in the world. Annual subsidies to US farmers is of the order of $25B+ per year. This includes non-tariff barriers such as price supports for sugar, import barriers and quotas such as on lamb and beef, export supports, crop insurance and other benefits. The DoA has been doing this for 75+ years and the majority of farms are now corporate-owned. The majority of these taxpayer subsidies are directed straight into the hands of corporate shareholders.
  - dragonwriter 8y ago
    > Your Dept of Agriculture is one of the most socialist "redistributors of wealth" in the world. Redistribution from the many to the wealthy few isn't socialist redistribution.
- mc32 8y ago
  Strawberry pints from farms which do not utilize unregulated workers come in typically at about $6 to $7 pint. They’re typically smaller scale, so large scale can have them at retail for around $5. If that helps all of us, the farmer the temporary worker and consumers, I don’t see a problem with it. Strawberries and such aren’t staples like wheat and rice (highly mechanized and automated).
  - dragonwriter 8y ago
    > Strawberry pints from farms which do not utilize unregulated workers There is no such thing as “unregulated workers”, just employers that don't obey the regulations applicable to their workers.
  - Qworg 8y ago
    How do you know that they're not using undocumented people? That also says nothing of the price increase as the pool of documented farm labor dries up.
adrianN 8y ago
The ability to grow food in the country has pretty high strategic value. If you let your farmers go out of business your country loses domain knowledge in farming.

lorenzhs 8y ago

Because farm work isn't really low skilled. Sarah Taber did an excellent Twitter thread on this: https://twitter.com/sarahtaber_bww/status/1075981910856425472 https://twitter.com/sarahtaber_bww/status/107598191085642547...

Qworg 8y ago
I agree, but they can't even get unskilled labor into the pool at that price.