New rules impacting H-2A worker programs may eliminate the option to utilize the program for producers that rely on the labor. Thief River Falls, Minnesota farmer David Gary says his 82 year old father is still working on the farm due to labor shortages. “He can’t retire because he’s our main guy and we can’t find anybody to take his place. Without H-2A, we’re going to suffer.” The local labor force is extremely scarce. “There’s not enough population to serve all the jobs. The workforce is exhausted in the Upper-Midwest.”
