Articles tagged under: ag labor
Protecting the Ag Labor Pool
Published April 11, 2025
In Thursday’s cabinet meeting, President Trump addressed the farm labor shortage. Trump suggested a plan to give undocumented workers an opportunity to work legally on the farm. "We're going to be working on that so a farmer will come in with…Immigration and Ag Labor Are Part of the Same Conversation
Published January 28, 2025
The American Farm Bureau Federation has made ag labor one of its top priorities. AFBF Vice President Scott VanderWal, who is also president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau, said ag labor and immigration are part of the same discussion.…Don’t Jump to Conclusions About Trump 2.0
Published January 6, 2025
With the incoming Trump administration, concerns have been seen over tariffs and employee shortages. National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles says it’s still too early to jump to conclusions. "If the threat of tariffs drives countries that we partner with…Ag Labor Report Issued
Published May 23, 2024
A new USDA report on farm labor indicates 618,000 workers were hired during the week of April 7. That’s down five percent from the same week last year. Nationwide, farmers paid hired workers an average wage of $18.98 per hour,…Dealing With the Labor Shortage
Published January 26, 2024
Agriculture is not immune to the workforce challenges nationwide. Labor was part of the discussion during the American Farm Bureau Federation voting delegate session. While seasonal workers are hard to find, year-round immigrant labor is also needed. “Whether that’s on…Farmer Worker Bill Introduced
Published June 24, 2022
California Senator Alex Padilla introduced a bill to extend overtime pay to farmworkers. If passed, the Fairness for Farmworkers Act of 2022 would extend overtime pay to all U.S. farmworkers who were excluded from the Fair Labor Standards Act of…Farm Bureau: New Vaccine Requirements May Limit Available Workforce
Published January 24, 2022
The Department of Homeland Security will start enforcing vaccine requirements for non-U.S. citizens traveling to the U.S. through ports of entry, including essential workers. In response, the American Farm Bureau Federation expressed concern, noting that the department failed to give…Strike Continues at John Deere Plants
Published November 3, 2021
Union workers rejected the latest contract offer from Deere and Company and the strike will continue. Deere offered a ten percent wage increase, an $8,500 ratification bonus and agreed to keep a pension option available for new employees. At the…Year-Round Pork Needs Year-Round Workers
Published July 5, 2021
The National Pork Producers Council has launched a new campaign highlighting the need for labor reform. With a theme of ‘Year-Round Pork Needs Year-Round Workers,’ this public relations effort demonstrates the role of foreign-born workers within the U.S. pork industry.…