U.S. Farmers Face Labor Crisis, Warn of Supply Collapse Without Policy Reform
A newly formed organization, Grow It Here, is spotlighting the critical labor shortage facing U.S. agriculture, with farmers across various commodities warning that the crisis threatens the nation’s food security and their generational businesses. In a recent presentation, farmers and experts detailed the escalating costs, bureaucratic hurdles, and the existential risk posed by a dwindling workforce.
A Crisis of Necessity: H-2A’s Burdens and Limitations
For decades, the agricultural community has sought policy reforms to ensure access to the necessary workforce. Farmers are struggling with a worsening shortage of domestic labor and rising costs. Many have turned to the H-2A agricultural visa program as a safety net for temporary and seasonal foreign labor.
Agricultural economist Dr. Zach Rutledge of Michigan State University highlighted the data proving the severity of the shortage. His surveys indicate that about half of all farmers are experiencing some degree of labor shortage, with the average deficit being approximately 20% of the labor force.
The H-2A program, however, is not a simple solution. As Grow It Here advisor Christy Boswell noted:
“The program has grown exponentially uh out of sheer necessity, but the program is incredibly bureaucratic and expensive. As is often said, you shouldn’t have to hire a lawyer to hire a farm worker.”
Farmers detailed the excessive costs, which include paying the high adverse effect wage rate (AEWR), providing housing at no cost, and covering transportation to and from the home country. New Jersey blueberry farmer Brandon Razo summarized the true financial burden:
“When you factor in housing costs, uh transportation, uh we have to cover their food… at the end of the day, you know, it kind of equates to more of like a 32 to $33 an hour cost for us.”
The greatest limitation is the program’s restriction to only temporary or seasonal needs, leaving year-round sectors like livestock and dairy ineligible. Matt Tarden of the Kansas Livestock Association stressed that their operations cannot use H-2A:
“Livestock work is year round. We have to milk cows, feed cattle every single day, and so it’s not seasonal, and so we’re not qualified to to access the H2A program.”
Impact on Family Farms and U.S. Consumers
The labor crisis is forcing farmers to make hard business decisions, often against the viability of their operations. North Carolina farmer Brandon Batten shared his personal worry:
“I would like to grow our operation maybe to support my kids return one day… So, you know, what keeps me awake at night is am I going to be the generation that ends it? Does this all end with me?”
California citrus and avocado grower Lisa Tate described the difficulty of managing the H-2A program, especially in a state with an average home price exceeding $870,000, making worker housing nearly impossible for family-run operations.
The consequence of this labor deficit is already being felt across the food supply chain:
Production Loss: Dr. Rutledge’s research found that a 10% reduction in labor supply can cause up to a 4.2% reduction in fruit and vegetable production and a 5.5% reduction in farmgate revenue.
Wasted Crops: Wisconsin organic farmer Tracy Vins admitted to the difficult choice of leaving produce unharvested: “Some of our guys had to go back early and we had to leave crops in the field. They they weren’t harvested because we couldn’t do it alone.”
Imports and Prices: Reduced domestic production increases reliance on foreign imports and puts upward pressure on food prices for American consumers. Furthermore, as farmer Linda Prior noted, spoiled crops mean “fewer healthier options in stores and higher prices at the checkout for everyone.”
A Choice for Policy Makers
Farmers are urging Congress to move beyond the political gamesmanship that links labor reform to broader immigration debates. Many agree that the current market conditions mean that the profitability of the cattle industry is the only thing keeping some farms in business.
Matt Tarden framed the issue as a stark choice for the nation’s leaders:
“I think it is clear to me that we can either import our workers or we can import our food and that that’s a key question that key issue that we need to answer and we need the help of of the policy makers to do so.”
Grow It Here, co-founded by Christy Boswell, aims to raise these farmers’ voices to educate the public and policymakers on the essential need for a stable, skilled agricultural workforce, which is increasingly viewed as a matter of national security.
