The California Farm Bureau Federation is conducting an Agricultural Labor Availability Survey to get a better understanding of how labor concerns are affecting family farmers and ranchers in California. CFBF is encouraging as much participation as possible in the survey, which will remain available through their website until Wednesday, August 9.
Fresno County Farm Bureau Executive Director Ryan Jacobsen said the process for growers to take the survey is quick and easy. “They’re able to go on there, take the survey and just kind of report what they’re seeing from their specific operation,” noted Jacobsen.
Information coming directly from farms and ranches is critical in getting an accurate picture of the labor availability in the state. Jacobsen commented on the importance of the data gathered in these types of surveys, noting “the more information we collect, the more information we’re able to aggregate and that becomes very, very helpful when we start talking to our senators [and] to our congressional representatives.”
A similar survey conducted in 2012 found that nearly two-thirds of the farmers who participated indicated difficulties in finding an adequate number of employees to handle the workload of their operation. Contributing to surveys like this is crucial for CFBF to be effective in their continued promotion of agricultural interests in Washington, DC, and Sacramento.