Farmers Keeping Labor Happy
Farmers Keeping Labor Happy
Labor is hard to find this year for farmers. Many who would be in the fields are not in the country right now, and that has put a premium on finding experienced workers.
With that in mind, workers are asking for more competitive wages and other benefits to take jobs.
Galen Lee with Sunnyside Farm in Idaho says keeping his employees on the job is not always easy, especially with other farms offering more money...but they talking with their people and making deals.
"We've had one of our workers came back. Said he had a really good offer to go over there to work. They offered him a lot more money but we talked to him a little bit. He did like it here. He ended up staying but we're competing with that. And so labor prices have gone up every year and prices are a little higher. It's been kind of hard to find help but right now we're doing OK.
And Lee says, even with problems finding help, they are staffed up enough - hopefully - to get the job done.
The lack of an immigrant work force available has been an issue, as farmers were hopeful the Trump Administration would work out a deal on granting green cards to agricultural workers.
