I have never heard farmers say they need illegal workers to fill agricultural jobs, but they frequently do utilize a number of foreign-born workers to harvest and package the apples, and other fruits and vegetables grown in our area.
What farmers have asked for is that any immigration bill considered should include a guest worker provision that allows a legal process to continue to be able to utilize foreign born workers in their farming operations.
Most of these individuals are young men whose goal is to make enough money to send back home to support their families. They do not pose a threat to our national security and they typically do not pose any threat to the personal security of our local residents.
The national debate continues to focus on whether to better secure our borders, to possibly deport millions of non-citizens, to provide blanket amnesty, to allow a path to citizenship or some combination of the above. Whatever we ultimately decide on immigration, will be determined by our federal elected officials.
My perspective on farm labor comes from personal experience growing up on a dairy and apple farm in North Rose. From the time I was a young boy, I understood the need for seasonal farm workers and I valued the work they did and who they were.
One of those workers was named Tom. His family originally arrived in America as immigrants from Europe. Tom was a cook for a restaurant in New York City, but every September he would show up to harvest our apples. In later years, we contracted with another local farmer who hired a crew of African-American migrant workers who would annually harvest our apples. Their crew leaders name was P.C. and he was a wonderful, good-natured man who made sure the work was done, but also made sure the workers were treated well.
Most of the agricultural workers of today are no different than Tom or P.C. While in our area, they pick the apples and do the work that is needed for a successful harvest. Many become extensions of the farm families for whom they work.
We cannot have an agricultural worker system that ignores illegal immigration but neither can we have a system that fails to allow for a legal avenue for farmers to secure the workers they need.
Maintaining a high-quality, accessible and legal workforce is critical to the future success of agriculture in New York and our nation.
Most of these individuals are young men whose goal is to make enough money to send back home to support their families. They do not pose a threat to our national security and they typically do not pose any threat to the personal security of our local residents.
The national debate continues to focus on whether to better secure our borders, to possibly deport millions of non-citizens, to provide blanket amnesty, to allow a path to citizenship or some combination of the above. Whatever we ultimately decide on immigration, will be determined by our federal elected officials.
My perspective on farm labor comes from personal experience growing up on a dairy and apple farm in North Rose. From the time I was a young boy, I understood the need for seasonal farm workers and I valued the work they did and who they were.
One of those workers was named Tom. His family originally arrived in America as immigrants from Europe. Tom was a cook for a restaurant in New York City, but every September he would show up to harvest our apples. In later years, we contracted with another local farmer who hired a crew of African-American migrant workers who would annually harvest our apples. Their crew leaders name was P.C. and he was a wonderful, good-natured man who made sure the work was done, but also made sure the workers were treated well.
Most of the agricultural workers of today are no different than Tom or P.C. While in our area, they pick the apples and do the work that is needed for a successful harvest. Many become extensions of the farm families for whom they work.
We cannot have an agricultural worker system that ignores illegal immigration but neither can we have a system that fails to allow for a legal avenue for farmers to secure the workers they need.
Maintaining a high-quality, accessible and legal workforce is critical to the future success of agriculture in New York and our nation.
The Citizens' Say
There are 1 comment(s)
Concerned Reader wrote on Jun 15, 2006 8:06 PM: