Farmers Hope New Immigration Bill Will Lead To More Field Workers

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- With the much debated immigration bill lingering in the House of Representatives, farmers across the nation hope the new policies will translate into more available workers to pick their crops, according to an article in the August issue of Food Nutrition & Science.

According to a recently released White House report, if immigration issues aren't resolved, California's agriculture production can lose between $1.73 billion to $3.12 billion with significant losses in other states as well.  With insufficient U.S. workers to fill labor needs, the bi-partisan Senate bill "can provide a path to earned citizenship for currently unauthorized farmworkers, and gives unauthorized workers and their families the security they need to invest in their own skills and education and pursue higher-paying employment." 

"The Immigration Bill can improve border security, but also create a legal, workable way for farm workers to enter our country," says Phil Lempert, founder of Food Nutrition & Science and CEO of The Lempert Report. "Despite technology, many growers prefer manual harvesting because quality is generally better and yields are higher. Our food chain relies on these farms and harvesters."

Legislation regarding immigration is unlikely to hit the House floor before October 2013.

Also in the August issue, information about The "Grow Dat Youth Farm" in New Orleans, that's part education program and part afterschool job where teens get paid to tend the land.

During the 20-week session, teens grow 10,000 pounds of food on the farm, of which 60 percent is sold. The remaining 40 percent is donated to local residents without access to fresh grown food.

The August issue also includes information on the importance of oats, an interview with a third generation strawberry farmer, information about healthy eating policies at small town schools and an interview with food writer Susan Sampson.

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SOURCE Food Nutrition & Science