The Supporting Farm Operations Act, H.R. 7046, was introduced in the U.S. House Representatives last week. It seeks to address the high cost of agricultural labor by freezing the Adverse …
Wage Declines from AB 1066 an ‘Ironclad Rule of Economics’
Farm employers are reducing the hours of overtime worked by their employees due to hourly limitations established by AB 1066. Bryan Little, Director of Employment Policy with the California Farm …
Congressional Effort Seeks to Address H-2A Wage Concerns for U.S. Farmers
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has voiced concern about the increasing H-2A wage and its impact on family farmers. Seventy-five U.S. House of Representatives members penned a letter to the …
Average Pay Levels Decline for Ag Workers After Two Years of New Overtime Rules
California’s 2019 overtime law for ag workers appears to have resulted in reduced weekly working hours and earnings for crop workers over the subsequent two years. The findings are highlighted …
H-2A Usage Continues to Grow Even with High Costs
In fiscal year 2023, H-2A visa usage in the U.S. reached a record high of 378,513 certified positions, marking a two percent increase from the previous year, as revealed in …
New Paid Sick Leave Requirements to Become Effective January 1, 2024
Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed Senate Bill 616 into law, ushering in significant changes to paid sick leave (PSL) requirements. Effective January 1, 2024, this legislation, put forth by state …
A Pilot to Improve Ag Workforce
A new USDA pilot program has grant funding now available for ag employees needing resources to address various farm labor and workforce challenges. Rod Bain has more in today’s This …
New Grant Program Seeks to Address Workforce Challenges
A new pilot program that seeks to bolster the food and ag supply chain and tackle farm workforce challenges has been introduced by the Biden-Harris Administration. The Farm Labor Stabilization …
New H-2A Rules Proposed by Department of Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has introduced a proposal for new H-2A rules intended to improve overall conditions for workers. A notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) has been made …
Ag Labor Expenses Forecast to Increase in 2023
The cost of ag labor is expected to rise. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Total cash labor expenses for the U.S. agriculture sector are forecast to be …
Challenges for House Ag Labor Working Group
Congress is looking into farm labor needs around the nation, but it is a challenging task. The House Agriculture Committee recently announced the creation of the bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working …
Lawmakers Establish Bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group
A new Agricultural Labor Working Group has been established to focus on the consistent issues that farmers have been facing with regard to labor. The bipartisan group was announced by …
Farmer/Congressman Supports Dignity Act for Immigrants
As a longtime farmer, John Duarte of California has paid close attention to immigration bills and now as a first-term congressman, he has the opportunity to support one. Congressman Duarte …
USDA to Bring Jobs to Rural Partners Network
The USDA is working to bring more jobs to rural communities. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Department of Agriculture this week announced an effort to help …