Florida Growers Sound Off On Immigration And Farm Labor
September 13, 2013 
Comprehensive immigration reform appears to be stalled in Congress. There is a new ag visa program contained in the legislation, but for now, the ag community awaits a solution. Florida Grower reached out to prominent producers to ask about their labor situation this year, immigration reform, and more. Here’s what a few of them had to say:
Tom O’Brien
C & D Fruit & Vegetable Co.
Bradenton
“Some growers in our area were well short of their labor needs this season. In terms of immigration reform, we keep going back to the same old statement, something is better than nothing. We have given Congress numerous ideas, but they do not have a clue. It is tough changing the public opposition to reform. The media does not want to hear the truth. I offer them my pay records and my
housing records. They don’t want to see it, because it would change their story.”
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Gary Wishnatzki, Wish Farms, Plant City
“The vast majority of growers in the Florida strawberry industry experienced some labor shortages. The bill that was passed by the Senate was well thought out and included feedback from all stakeholders. The House is taking a piecemeal approach. The issue needs to be addressed comprehensively or there could be disastrous consequences. Everyone in the ag community needs to take every opportunity they get to educate the public. Wish Farms is gearing up for H-2A. The current system is very bad, but not getting our fruit picked would be worse.”
Tony DiMare, Dimare Fresh, Ruskin
“Adequate harvesting labor is becoming more and more difficult to find. We experienced a shortage of labor at various times this past year and talking with other growers, they did as well. I don’t see the situation getting any better unless we can develop a supplemental and viable program that is cost effective and without the litigation of the current H-2A program.
“The Senate and House versions of immigration reform are too differed, therefore I am not very optimistic we will find a satisfactory compromise that benefits agriculture.
“People need to realize that without immigration reform and a workable temporary/guestworker program, we will not be able to harvest our row crops in this country. There are plenty of opportunities for American citizens to harvest our crops if they are willing to do so. But the reality is Americans are unwilling to do this type of work, so we have to be reliant on an outside source of labor. So, if the trend of labor shortages continue, we as a consuming public will have to rely more and more on imported produce, therefore eliminating our choice of buying American products.”
Paul Orsenigo, Growers Management Inc., Belle Glade
“Immigration reform is a national and a multi-industry issue. Agriculture and the food/fiber business are not alone in their dependence on hard working immigrants. The necessities of everyday life, regardless of lifestyle food, clothing, shelter, and transportation are to some degree the work products of many people who are part of America’s immigrant population. Their economic stability is dependent on business owners providing them with jobs. We need to do a better job communicating the perishability of what we grow. If a field corn grower has trouble finding labor and has to postpone his harvest a few days, it is probably not a huge deal. But, for fruit and vegetable growers, waiting days for workers can mean disaster.”
Hank Scott, Long & Scott Farms, Zellwood
“We have been short of help for the last couple of years as have most folks that I have talked to. In addition, the workers that have been here a while have become Americanized, and do not work as well, and are not as dependable.
“There is a misconception these folks want to be citizens, but they don’t. They want to work and go home. To change the public’s thinking on immigration, we would have to get the drive-by media to do their job and report the issues correctly, along with ag groups stepping it up a lot. Also, continue to remind the consumers if we don’t get the labor we need that food prices will continue to increase, food safety will be hard to monitor, and there will be no such thing as locally grown. Unfortunately, as long as politics and the government is involved, we have an uphill battle.”
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