Jackson Family Wines has been using H-2A labor to supplement their needs over the last few years, and Vineyard Manager Bart Haycraft said the merging of the two labor pools has been pleasantly surprising. “All the sudden you find guys that are talking and getting along much better,” he said. “You have guys going over to other people’s house for dinner, going to church with them, going into town and shopping. It worked, actually, a lot better than I anticipated.”
Haycraft said they started using H-2A out of need, but added that doing so now alleviated some availability of labor concern if e-verify ever becomes law. “Correct, and hopefully the people making the laws and rules understand there’s a need for labor in the state and H-2A is filling a big need right now,” Haycraft said.
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