Entrepreneurs Help Revitalize Rural Revenues

Cindy Zimmerman

The topic for the recent Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit was Revitalizing Rural Revenues, exploring a wide variety of options, including a panel on rural entrepreneurs like Kevin Johansen who founded AgButler, a gig economy platform that serves as a solution to a rural labor shortage in America. Johansen says the company, which launched in 2020, has grown exponentially. …

Agri-Pulse, Apps, Audio, labor, people

Rabo AgriFinance at Ag Media Summit

Chuck Zimmerman

“U.S. Agriculture’s Labor Crisis: Can It Be Fixed?” was the topic for the Ag Media Summit Newsmakers session last week, sponsored by Rabo AgriFinance. David Magaña, RaboResearch Fresh Produce Analyst, gave some insights into the reduction of the agricultural labor force available due to a declining percentage of young people. “Obviously this has been a challenge for years for agriculture,” …

Ag Media Summit, Agribusiness, Audio, labor

Dairy Industry Faces Labor Shortage

Cindy Zimmerman

A coalition of organizations representing farm labor, dairy business, cooperatives, and the food industry held a press event this week at World Dairy Expo to draw attention to the labor shortage being faced by dairy farmers. The American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action), Edge Dairy/Wisconsin Dairy Business Association, National Milk Producers Federation, the American Dairy Coalition, Indiana Dairy Producers, …

Dairy, labor, World Dairy Expo

másLabor Announces Merger with AgWorks H2

Cindy Zimmerman

másLabor, the nation’s leading provider of comprehensive services for employers participating in the H-2A and H-2B nonimmigrant visa programs, has announced a merger with AgWorks H2, LLC (“AgWorks”) a Georgia-based H-2A and H-2B consulting firm that ranks among the nation’s top providers. Together, the two companies obtain approvals for their clients to employ over 60,000 foreign workers per year – …

labor

Farm Workers Not Included in Immigration Order

Cindy Zimmerman

President Donald Trump will be signing an Executive Order today prohibiting immigration into the United States for 60 days, but that order will not apply to seasonal farm workers. “Farmers will not be affected by this at all,” the president said during the daily Coronavirus Task Force briefing on Tuesday. “If anything we’re going to make it easier.” (:44)

Audio, Farming, labor

Agriculture Groups Urge Action on Farm Labor

Cindy Zimmerman

Agriculture organizations are urging immediate action on the evolving farm labor situation to avoid impacting the nation’s food supply during this critical time. The Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to recognize all H-2A as well as any other non-immigrant visa petition involving an agricultural worker visa consular processing functions as essential and direct U.S. …

Ag Groups, Audio, labor

COVID-19 Restrictions Could Impact Food Supply

Cindy Zimmerman

Beginning today, the United States will suspend routine immigrant and nonimmigrant processing visa services in Mexico indefinitely, including immigrant workers approved under the H-2A guest worker program who are needed to help farmers and ranchers get food in the grocery stores. “The decision to halt visa application processing in Mexico will restrict the number of immigrant workers being allowed to …

AFBF, Ag Groups, AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, labor, NPPC

Rep. Yoho Introduces Bipartisan Ag Labor Bill

Cindy Zimmerman

House Agriculture Committee member Congressman Ted Yoho (R-FL) has introduced the “Labor Certainty for Food Security Act” (HR 6083) to “bring relief to America’s farmers and ranchers who are struggling to find steady, reliable labor.” “Without a steady, reliable workforce, food prices will increase, and Americans will feel the effects at their local checkout line. If congress does not address …

Audio, labor

Yoho: Improving the Farm Labor Shortage

Carrie Muehling

Congressman Ted Yoho of Florida’s 3rd District was at the 2020 Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference, talking about guest worker legislation. “This is a bill that will solve a problem for illegal immigration in this country on the lower skilled tiers,” said Yoho. “We give opportunity for people before they come into the country to apply to this program. …

Audio, labor, politics, Vegetables

AgButler Serves to Offer Farm Labor Solutions

Cindy Zimmerman

Thanks to the growing “gig economy” we can now easily get an Uber or Lyft, get food from different restaurants with GrubHub or DoorDash, find a babysitter or a handyman and more, all with our phones. Now the gig economy is coming to agriculture. AgButler is a gig economy platform that serves as a solution to a rural labor shortage …

AFBF, Apps, Audio, labor, Livestock