Labor
Shortage of farm workers to pick California strawberries
It is peak season for strawberries, but there is a shortage of farm workers to pick them. Growers say that's tied to the contentious battle over immigration reform and tighter borders.Buscas trabajo? Looking for work?... more »
Guatemalan valley visit unveils unique watering system
The Valley of Almolonga in Guatemala is staggeringly gorgeous. Especially to a vegetable grower: an irregular checkerboard of small fields, all verdantly green, framed on both sides by the steep, mist-whispered mountains as the valley... more »
Specialty crops targeted in emerging Farm Bill
Representatives of specialty crops in Michigan have voiced support for the efforts of U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, to push through a farm bill that has come out of her Senate committee.Stabenow visited May Farms... more »
Agreement abets immigration proposal
A recent agreement between agriculture, labor and Congressional interests is being hailed as a key step in achieving comprehensive immigration reform – reform that includes long-sought provisions essential to growers.The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and... more »
Talkin’ Shop: What’s your take on organic farming?
Editor's note: This is a complete list of the responses to the Talkin' Shop question on page 35 of the June 2013 issue of VGN.I think organic farming is an excellent way of minimizing the... more »
Michigan asparagus growers eye good price bump
Favorable market conditions are leading to a nickel-a-pound price hike from Michigan's asparagus handlers in 2013, a figure that industry leaders hope will spur more interest among growers and add more acres in order to... more »
Speedy path toward citizenship proposed
Hundreds of thousands of migrant farm workers would be put on a speedy path toward U.S. citizenship and receive stronger labor protections under an immigration-reform proposal scheduled to be unveiled this week.The farm-worker component was... more »
Dispute over guest-worker program puts immigration talks at risk of delay
A bipartisan deal on immigration is at risk of stalling because of a worsening dispute over a new guest-worker program, exposing fault lines between crucial interest groups and threatening to delay the unveiling of a... more »
