Growers Bemoan Worker Shortage

[geezerbob]

Since the “Who Picked That Vegetable” thread was closed after going off topic, I thought another one would be appropriate since it appears that a lot of fruits and vegetables aren’t going to get picked this year.
thestate.com/mld/thestate/15679498.htm

That link deals with growers in Texas. Here’s another article about South Carolina growers having the same problem.
thestate.com/mld/thestate/15679497.htm

High school kids used to pick, sort and pack peaches in this area. An acquaintance who owns a large orchard and packing shed told me several years ago that she could get very few kids to do the work and had to rely primarily on migrants. If the crop comes in early or the migrants are late, she’s in a bind. A couple of years ago, about 90% of her strawberry crop rotted in the fields.

Somewhere, there’s got to be a solution to this problem.

 

[Karin]

Your telling me that NO ONE, none of the thousands or millions of unemplyed folks can pick crops???
Is it just easier to sit at home and collect unemployment than actually seek out work that may perhaps be “beneath” you??

On the other hand I guess this means that produce prices will once again skyrocket

 

[geezerbob]

Your telling me that NO ONE, none of the thousands or millions of unemplyed folks can pick crops???
Is it just easier to sit at home and collect unemployment than actually seek out work that may perhaps be “beneath” you??

On the other hand I guess this means that produce prices will once again skyrocket

They can pick crops. The trouble is they won’t. It’s hot, hard and dirty work. Yes, it is easier to sit at home and collect unemployment or welfare than to pick crops. Is this the result of our welfare system?

One very large farmer in the area has solved the problem by growing a variety of crops year round and employs about 200 immigrants all the time. He times his plantings so that his regular employees are able to do almost all the work and limits his reliance on the migrants. Other growers with less acreage don’t have that luxury and are hurting.

Kids used to pick peaches for two or three summers to buy their first cars. Now that daddy is more affluent and will give them one, why should they work?

Where is it all going? Working used to be an honorable thing to do. That apparently is no longer the case.

 

[Lance]

This is a major reason we should not pay welfare to anyone who is able to work unless they do work. Another thing is the high schools in my area discourage kids from working, they send letters home with the kids saying that they should not have a job unless it is neccessary to help support the family. They want them involved in school programs.

 

[Karin]

This is a major reason we should not pay welfare to anyone who is able to work unless they do work. Another thing is the high schools in my area discourage kids from working, they send letters home with the kids saying that they should not have a job unless it is neccessary to help support the family. They want them involved in school programs.

Do you think perhaps they want them not to have a job so they can study?
I do know that between my sons commute to and from school, homework and studying (average 3-4hours night) and sports he has no time for a job during the school year.
.

 

[Lance]

Congratulations to your son for studying 3 or 4 hours every night, your average kid spends less than 1 hour according to our school district. Sports are a choice you and he made, he does not have to play them and no sport lasts the whole year. Could he work weekends? Did you buy him a car or give him yours every time he needs one? Do you make him ride the bus or does he drive to school? Does he work during the summer and does he have chores around the house? Do you expect him to help pay for college? I know these are very personal questions and don’t expect you to answer them here, just wanted you to think about them and realize that most kids don’t play sports, have long commutes to school or spend 4 hours a night on homework. Drive by the student parking lot in my town and you will see BMW’s, Lexus’, sports cars and SUV’s. Most of the students drive better cars than I do and mommy and daddy bought them for them. I do live in an affluent area but these kids are not learning any thing about the value of a buck.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

Well I am a believer in a minimum wage which may or may not play a factor here. I see no problem with piece work agreements. And I would allow Prisoner to work but they should receive only minimal money, mostly privileges, and the grower should pay into the state victims fund for labor of prisoners.

If we build that fence we may see a need to issue many more Green Cards which could be a win-win

 

[a_cermak]

Congratulations to your son for studying 3 or 4 hours every night, your average kid spends less than 1 hour according to our school district. Sports are a choice you and he made, he does not have to play them and no sport lasts the whole year. Could he work weekends? Did you buy him a car or give him yours every time he needs one? Do you make him ride the bus or does he drive to school? Does he work during the summer and does he have chores around the house? Do you expect him to help pay for college? I know these are very personal questions and don’t expect you to answer them here, just wanted you to think about them and realize that most kids don’t play sports, have long commutes to school or spend 4 hours a night on homework. Drive by the student parking lot in my town and you will see BMW’s, Lexus’, sports cars and SUV’s. Most of the students drive better cars than I do and mommy and daddy bought them for them. I do live in an affluent area but these kids are not learning any thing about the value of a buck.

If you live in an affluent area then your schools are probably pretty good and the kids, especially the well-off ones due to vicious competition in that class, are probably spending far more than 1 hours a night on school work. Children of the affluent tend to take a lot of AP courses, which can increase their chances of getting into a top tier school (bragging rights to parents) and they also do a lot of extra-curricular and community service type activities for college application purposes. They would likely not have time for work of this nature and would not consider it a good bargain for the time put into it (vs. being able to take 1 more AP class or join the debating team or whatever which would have a positive effect on the college application.)

As far as the comments about Unemployment, that is compensation from a fund paid into by the previously employed laborer that is meant to keep her going until she acquires another, comparable job. So a former CEO is not expected to pick fruit or work in a library or any other non-related work. And the funds aren’t forever. Here in IL I think they last a year (I think might be 6 months) though it’s more a funds thing (if you work part time you can make your unemployment last longer as a top up fund) than a time thing.

Welfare is another kettle of fish. Welfare reform has probably got most of the easy cases dealt with (people for whom lack of familiarity with work was the only issue). Now we are down to those with substance abuse issues, those who are physically or mentally handicapped, parents with young or disabled children, the perpetually messed up etc. Were I a farmer, I would not choose this population as my employees due to issues of unreliability.

The other issue with farm labor is where the work is. An awful lot of poor folk who would love to have the work live in places like Detroit, Chicago, Flint, Milwaulkee, NYC… not exactly prime farmland in those parts, but the wages are so low that relo is not an attractive prospect.

 

[Karin]

Congratulations to your son for studying 3 or 4 hours every night, your average kid spends less than 1 hour according to our school district. Sports are a choice you and he made, he does not have to play them and no sport lasts the whole year. Could he work weekends? Did you buy him a car or give him yours every time he needs one? Do you make him ride the bus or does he drive to school? Does he work during the summer and does he have chores around the house? Do you expect him to help pay for college? I know these are very personal questions and don’t expect you to answer them here, just wanted you to think about them and realize that most kids don’t play sports, have long commutes to school or spend 4 hours a night on homework. Drive by the student parking lot in my town and you will see BMW’s, Lexus’, sports cars and SUV’s. Most of the students drive better cars than I do and mommy and daddy bought them for them. I do live in an affluent area but these kids are not learning any thing about the value of a buck.

No need for sarcasm…my son goes to a Private School as the local public school is a disgrace and I do think that they only get 1-2 hours of homework a night there.
As to his sports…he plays Rugby and Extreme Frisbee…that covers about 2/3 og the year. He has games and homework studying on the weekends so getting a job then is also impossible. He takes a train to school…as to buying him a car he is not even old enough for a D.L.
As to work during the summer or household chores…he does do household chores and he cant work during the summer as he does things with the family that dont or wouldnt allow a job.
And nope my kids do not have to pay for their college educations as I started savign $$ for them as soon as they where born…so he can get a job though and pay for everything else when he is in college.

 

[Lance]

If you live in an affluent area then your schools are probably pretty good and the kids, especially the well-off ones due to vicious competition in that class, are probably spending far more than 1 hours a night on school work. Children of the affluent tend to take a lot of AP courses, which can increase their chances of getting into a top tier school (bragging rights to parents) and they also do a lot of extra-curricular and community service type activities for college application purposes. They would likely not have time for work of this nature and would not consider it a good bargain for the time put into it (vs. being able to take 1 more AP class or join the debating team or whatever which would have a positive effect on the college application.)

As far as the comments about Unemployment, that is compensation from a fund paid into by the previously employed laborer that is meant to keep her going until she acquires another, comparable job. So a former CEO is not expected to pick fruit or work in a library or any other non-related work. And the funds aren’t forever. Here in IL I think they last a year (I think might be 6 months) though it’s more a funds thing (if you work part time you can make your unemployment last longer as a top up fund) than a time thing.

Welfare is another kettle of fish. Welfare reform has probably got most of the easy cases dealt with (people for whom lack of familiarity with work was the only issue). Now we are down to those with substance abuse issues, those who are physically or mentally handicapped, parents with young or disabled children, the perpetually messed up etc. Were I a farmer, I would not choose this population as my employees due to issues of unreliability.

The other issue with farm labor is where the work is. An awful lot of poor folk who would love to have the work live in places like Detroit, Chicago, Flint, Milwaulkee, NYC… not exactly prime farmland in those parts, but the wages are so low that relo is not an attractive prospect.

I disagree about the quality of our schools, although the school district says they are one of the tops in the state. My oldest daughter was an average student and got an average education, my youngest daughter was an excellent student and got an excellent education while my son was a poor student and got almost no education, just passed along to get rid of him. The kids get out of school just what they put into it. My wife is the director of volunteer services at our local hospital and yes the kids do volunteer but most of them have attendance problems. Something more important is always coming up on weekends and mommy or daddy calls in for them. Our K of C has trouble getting the kids to volunteer to help sell candy for our Mentally Handicapped drive. They show up to plant flowers in our downtown area wearing designer jeans and sandals, no common sense. They all seem to be focused on their sports and other after school stuff like band, choir, cheer leading, etc. You described the top 30% of the studends in our system. There are about 10% who fit the mold of my son and the other 60% will go to community college for at least 2 years to get their grades up or save money, go to a smaller state or private school, join the military or get a job.

You are correct, unemployment in IL is 26 weeks in a year from when you get your 1st check.

There are still lots of people on welfare who could work and would work if they did not get the check for just doing nothing. You are correct that a lot of the welfare recipiants are in the innercity but they could still clean the streets or something for their money. There are a lot of immigrants working for lawn care companies, they could work there. Kids won’t cut grass anymore so if you don’t do it yourself you have to hire a lawn care company to do it.

 

[davy39]

Another thought. If a single mom has children, most of the time the mimimun wage jobs that are avaliable barely cover the cost of child care while she is working, leaving hardly anything to live on, and pay bills with. So there isn’t much incentive for getting off of welfare. There are a lot of people in this same situation.