The Top Issues on the Minds of American Vegetable Growers
July 26, 2023 Perhaps the most important question we ask in our State of the Vegetable Industry survey is a simple one: Please share any thoughts you have about the state of the industry overall.
Write-in questions typically have fewer people responding to them, because it takes more time to fill it in than multiple-choice questions. Yet 112 of you generously took the time to write down your thoughts. We should mention the survey is anonymous, so no one will be identified below.
Cost Increases
We broke down the responses into roughly 10 categories. Easily the most common theme focused on increased costs, with 29 of the 112 respondents addressing the topic.
While high input and labor costs grab most headlines, many of you report land prices, utilities, and just about every cost linked to being a farmer has increased, too.
“I have over $800 invested in one pallet of berries before it hits the loading dock,” one grower says.
Another reports his/her overhead rose from 12% to 16% in just three years.
Meanwhile, although crop prices are increasing, it’s not enough to cover cost increases. Even for farm market growers, growers find it difficult to pass along the increase to consumers.
“I think we have a very strong market to sell into but finding labor and the increasing costs of inputs are offsetting those markets.”
One grower says the industry is in a “paradigm shift,” where these high costs are forcing the industry to adopt new methods and modern technology.
The Good News
Many of you are more optimistic.
“I think it’s the best ag industry you can be in,” says one vegetable grower.
Another farmer says the industry can gain a lot from promoting itself.
“We have lots of challenges ahead but also lots of ingenuity and passion. We are doing more with less but need to continue to sway public perception and get grocery stores to pass their margin increases to growers,” he/she said.
While some growers say customers aren’t willing to pay more for fresh produce, many others dispute that claim.
“Customers want fresh produce [and] are realizing they need to pay for it,” one says.
Another reports future demand looks good.
It’s not just young farms seeing growth. Here’s what one veteran grower had to say:
“Over the years I’ve learned that being a farmer, and for me to embody a purposeful living, is to value something bigger than myself. It’s a labor of love, and sometimes that’s all that keeps us going.”
And another experienced farmer adds, “I still get excited every spring to see what the new year will bring. Our customer base is growing, and we have been able to find quality young high school help.”
More Viewpoints
Small farms: “Be small and keep it all.”
Future focus: “I think we need to be pretty proactive about saving farmland in places that didn’t seem as important of growing regions before but may be regionally important as the climate changes more.”
New blood: “We need young people to continue growing when this generation retires.”
Find new land: “Look at other places in the country with advantage in microclimate in relations the market windows.”
Government: “Our ability to stay ahead of the government in addressing these issues is the key to our success.”
Labor: “The labor laws have increased wages, reduced hours of operation and added sick pay and other costs.”
Thank You!
HM.CLAUSE generously supports our coverage of the American Vegetable Grower State of the Vegetable Industry survey.
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