Farm Labor Crisis: The Ticking Time Bomb for U.S. Agriculture

Farmers and ranchers are sounding the alarm on Capitol Hill, and for good reason. The farm labor crisis is reaching a boiling point, and it's time to take action. Chad Smith has the inside scoop from Washington, D.C., where specialty crop grower Mike McCarthy shared his harrowing experience with lawmakers.

McCarthy, who grows apples, pears, and cherries in Oregon, painted a grim picture. "We're 100 percent dependent on immigrant labor now," he admitted. "It's labor-intensive agriculture, and we can't find enough workers to keep our farms running."

The biggest concern? The skyrocketing cost of labor. The Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) for H-2A visa workers is escalating faster than inflation, and it's squeezing farmers' profit margins. "About 60 percent of our costs are labor," McCarthy revealed. "With the high AEWR, it's becoming very difficult to be profitable."



But here's the kicker: many lawmakers don't understand the gravity of the situation. "Commodity prices have not risen significantly in a lot of commodities over time, but our costs have increased very drastically over the last ten years," McCarthy explained. "It's becoming more and more difficult to really raise food in the United States, and I think it's a long-term conversation that we have to have."

So, what can you do? Speak up! Farmers need to make their voices heard and demand action from their elected officials. The future of U.S. agriculture depends on it. Don't let this crisis go unnoticed—it's time to fight for the farmers who feed our nation.