How 'A Day Without Immigrants" Affected Agriculture

Go to http://www.agriculture.com/news/business/how-a-day-without-immigrants-affects-the-agriculture-community to check out the story.

Trade Concerns Surround Trump's Wall, Immigration Plans

Interesting story on President Trump's immigration ban and Mexico wall and how they might affect agriculture.

Go to http://newsok.com/trade-concerns-surrounding-trumps-wall-hit-agriculture-prices/article/5535913 to check out the story.

NY Congress Members Introduce Family Farm Relief Act

From the Watertown Daily Times:

Rep. Elise Stefanik, left, and Rep Chris Collins

Rep. Chris Collins, R-Clarence, Erie County, and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, Essex County, have introduced the Family Farm Relief Act of 2017, legislation to move the H-2A Agricultural Visa program from the Department of Labor to the Department of Agriculture to better meet the unique labor needs of farmers and agricultural businesses.
 
“The last thing our farmers need is for the federal government to make it harder for them to make ends meet,” said Collins. “Access to a willing and available labor force is absolutely critical for Western New York’s agriculture community, particularly our dairy farmers. I am proud to join my colleague Congresswoman Stefanik in introducing this common-sense legislation to streamline and improve the H-2A visa program.”
 
“Agriculture is the backbone of our North Country economy and I am pleased to introduce this important bill to address the labor shortages facing our farmers,” said Stefanik. “When I travel the district speaking with our farmers, I often hear about how unnecessary delays in worker visas lead to difficulty meeting production goals. This commonsense legislation simply puts the H-2A agricultural visa program in the hands of those who best understand the specific needs of our farms.”
 
“Immigration reform that allows for both seasonal and year round farm labor has been a longtime priority for New York Farm Bureau. For too long, the federal H2A guest visa program has been cumbersome, prone to delays and too rigid to fit the needs of both farmers and their employees,” said New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher.
 
The Family Farm Relief Act of 2017 takes practical measures such as allowing visa applicants to fill out H-2A applications on paper or online, requiring a user-friendly online system, and ending burdensome requirements on advertising and prevailing practice surveys.
 
The current H-2A visa program is unworkable, especially for the dairy farms across our nation.  The H-2A visa program does not currently provide a category for year-round livestock workers, including dairy. This has caused difficulties for dairy farms that need employees year-round. This legislation addresses this oversight, by creating an H-2A category for these workers.
 
Additionally, the proposed law also allows farm cooperatives and other agricultural associations to apply for workers for their members, makes the program more workable for dairy and other livestock operations, and requires reporting to Congress if delays occur in the H-2A Visa application process.

Proposed Bill Seeks to Improve Labor Standards for Hiring Foreign Workers on Farms

From Empire Farm & Dairy:

By BRIAN MOLONGOSKI

A new federal bill seeks to improve labor standards for hiring foreign workers at farms across the country.
 
Dubbed the Family Farm Relief Act of 2017, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, and U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, R-Clarence, introduced the bill on Jan. 11.
 
The measure will move the H-2A Agricultural Visa program, which allows foreign entry into the county for agricultural employment, from U.S. Department of Labor to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
 
Doing so will help adjust the program to meet the needs of dairy farmers who use foreign labor to maintain operations year-round.
 
“When I travel the district speaking with our farmers, I often hear about how unnecessary delays in worker visas lead to difficulty meeting production goals,” Stefanik said in a statement. “This common-sense legislation simply puts the H-2A agricultural visa program in the hands of those who best understand the specific needs of our farms.”
 
Current regulations allow farms to use the program if they seek temporary or seasonal workers. With dairy farming being a year-round business, however, foreign labor on such farms is needed on a more long-term basis.
 
According to the bill, foreign laborers admitted for the purpose of year-round livestock farming, particularly dairy farming, will be covered by the H-2A program for no longer than three years.
 
Additionally, the bill would allow visa applicants to fill out H-2A applications on paper or online, requiring a user-friendly online system and ending burdensome requirements on advertising and prevailing practice surveys.
 
Jay Matteson, agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency, said dairy farms in Jefferson County are largely unable to utilize the program because of its burdensome process for admitting a worker.
 
“Farms are always interested in trying to obtain workers from outside the country to come in legally. With H-2A, it is just not possible for them to do so,” Matteson said.
 
For long-term purposes, Matteson said, it would be ideal if foreign dairy farm workers could legally stay in the country for three to five years.
 
Matteson said many farms in the north country hire foreign employees from Mexico and Guatemala.
 
Sackets Harbor dairy farmer Ronald Robbins, who employs a few Hispanic workers for his dairy operation, said hiring a foreign worker involves reviewing their employment documentation. Even if paperwork seems to be in order, it is illegal to question a potential hire over whether it is truly legal for he or she to be working in the United States.
 
“As long as they present documentation, we are not allowed by law to question it,” he said. “We go with what we see.”
 
As it currently stands, Robbins said, it is “cumbersome” to go through the H-2A program for foreign employees to work longer than at least one season of farming.
 
Robbins said that improving the H-2A program for dairy farmers will help ensure that foreign farm employees are legally allowed to be working in the United States.
 
“It would give us confidence that the folks that are here, are here legally,” Robbins said.

Anxiety Among Farm Groups as Battle Lines Harden on Immigration Reform

A good read.

Check it out http://www.agriculture.com/news/business/anxiety-among-farm-groups-as-battle-lines-harden-on-immigration-reform at this link.

New York Farmers Interviewed on CNN

Check out this https://www.facebook.com/cnn/videos/10154510475136509/?fref=nf from CNN featuring two New York farmers.

New York Farm Bureau Lists National Priorities for 2016

From New York Farm Bureau:

New York Farm Bureau leaders met with members of New York’s congressional delegation this week in Washington, DC to discuss the organization’s member-approved national public policy priorities for 2016.

Following the visits, New York Farm Bureau President Dean Norton and Elizabeth Wolters, NYFB’s associate director of national affairs, held a press conference call with reporters this morning to publicly unveil the priorities. 

The priorities are:


GMO LABELING

New York’s visit was timely with next week’s expected markup of Sen. Pat Robert’s bill that would establish national standards for the labeling of products that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). 

GMO labeling is an important issue in New York state as a proposed bill looks to create a statewide label for ingredients created with the assistance of biotechnology. This disregards the clear scientific evidence that shows the food is just as safe and nutritious as ingredients bred using more traditional methods. 

New York Farm Bureau opposes a statewide approach because it would create a patchwork of labeling laws that would prove costly for New York farmers and consumers alike.  Because of the concern, New York Farm Bureau is supportive of Sen. Robert’s bill.

The chairman’s proposal is centered on a strong foundation to protect interstate commerce and prevent state-by-state labeling laws. It will direct USDA to initiate formal rulemaking to set definitions and standards for the labeling of products that may contain ingredients derived from agricultural biotechnology. The bill also contains an educational component to inform consumers about the safety of GMOs.

REGULATIONS

New York Farm Bureau has long been in opposition to proposed changes to the Clean Water Act that members believe broaden the jurisdiction from navigable waters to also including dry land. 

The new “Waters of the U.S.” rule will vastly increase the scope of the Clean Water Act and put an undue burden and more regulatory control on farmers and their land with no benefit to the environment.

Both houses of Congress voted in a bipartisan fashion to repeal the rule. Unfortunately, the President vetoed the measure. 

That doesn’t mean this issue is settled.  The Sixth Circuit Court has issued a stay based on legal concerns. While it works its way through the legal system, New York Farm Bureau will continue to work with Congress to find a solution on the matter along with advocating for more comprehensive regulatory reform.

New York Farm Bureau also was successful this year at the American Farm Bureau Federation national meeting in Orlando, FL to pass a resolution in the national policy book related to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.   

New York Farm Bureau supports allowing third party accredited individuals as well as Natural Resources Conservation Service staff to complete wetland determinations. This will help to reduce the amount of time farmers have to wait to have a determination completed. Currently, the delays of up to a year hinder what farmers can do with their land.

IMMIGRATION REFORM

New York Farm Bureau has long been saying we need a stable workforce on our farms or else the rural economy and our local food supply will ultimately suffer. 

Despite the political climate in Washington and the current presidential campaign, immigration reform remains a top priority for New York Farm Bureau. It is time to end the immigration stalemate and pass reform legislation that addresses short and long-term farm labor needs.
Because of the unlikelihood of that happening in 2016, New York Farm Bureau is changing its focus this year to look for reforming the H2A seasonal guest worker program. This includes modernizing the application process to use electronic submissions as opposed to the current paper applications that must be mailed to the U.S. Department of Labor. 

In addition, New York Farm Bureau is looking for opportunities to open up the H2A program to dairy farmers who need help year round.

Until this is completed, New York Farm Bureau will work with Congress to minimize negative impacts of farm labor shortages and will oppose a mandatory E-Verify program unless and until a new comprehensive agricultural guest-worker program is in place to provide farmers with workforce security.

FOOD SAFETY RULES

Food safety is another top priority for New York Farm Bureau. The FDA is in the process of implementing new food safety rules as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act and New York Farm Bureau is monitoring the implementation, particularly those dealing with produce and animal feed, and will be working with the FDA to balance the compliance burden with an actual public health benefit.

Federal money should also be used to provide adequate training of inspectors and provide for inspections for foreign farms. The United States must ensure foreign farms and the goods that they produce are held to the same standards so as not to make domestic farms non-competitive and offshore our food production. 

If we are to be able to compete on the world market place, our farmers’ hands cannot be tied by our own rules and food should be safe regardless of where it comes from. 

TRADE

With a growing export market for a number of things that we produce in New York, New York Farm Bureau will continue to support the next generation of trade negotiations that remove unscientific barriers and high tariffs and provide new opportunities for our farms. 

This includes the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership  agreement with the European Union.

The Pacific agreement is expected to increase cash receipts and net exports from New York by $111.4 million and $66.2 million per year, respectively. It is estimated the increased marketing opportunities for New York’s farmers and ranchers will add more than 500 jobs to the New York economy.

New York Farm Bureau Lists its National Agenda

While in Washington, DC meeting with members of the state’s congressional delegation, New York Farm Bureau released its national public policy priorities for the year. 

The agenda originated at the grassroots level and is member approved.

IMMIGRATION REFORM

Immigration reform remains a top priority for the state’s farmers and their employees. NYFB has long pushed for a flexible guest-worker visa program that addresses both seasonal and long-term needs of New York agriculture.  

There is of special concern as the House of Representatives is looking to move ahead with an enforcement only action that American Farm Bureau Federation estimates could cost the country’s farmers as much as $60 billion and raise food prices by 5 percent to 6 percent. New York Farm Bureau is calling for a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that also takes agricultural labor needs into account.

“We need a stable workforce on our farms that benefits the rural economy and the local food supply,” said NYFB President Dean Norton during the conference call with reporters. “It must be comprehensive. Enforcement-only reforms put the chicken before the egg so to speak. They all need to go together.”

FOOD SAFETY

The implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is also a public policy priority. New York’s farmers already participate in a host of food safety programs and audits, but the Food and Drug Administration is instituting new food safety rules. 

This past year NYFB submitted comments to the FDA over its planned rollout of FSMA.  NYFB is pleased many of the concerns were addressed relating to proposed requirements for animal feed and the commodity value threshold that would trigger the new regulations on an individual farm. 

However, there are additional changes that NYFB would like to see before the rules take effect. This includes reworking the unscientific standards FDA has established for irrigation water.  The organization will continue to work with the FDA and fellow stakeholders so the final rules address the real risks that exist and can be successfully implemented on our farms. In the end, both public health and agriculture will benefit.

CLEAN WATER ACT EXPANSION

New York Farm Bureau has long been in opposition to proposed changes to the Clean Water Act that it believe broadens the jurisdiction from navigable waters to dry land. This month farmers had a partial victory in their campaign when the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers withdrew their interpretive rule as mandated by both Congress and the President.  

Contrary to what the agencies had claimed, the farm exemptions provided in the Interpretive Rule actually narrowed “normal farming and ranching” exemptions by imposing burdensome new requirements for farmers and ranchers.

NYFB will continue to advocate for the repeal of the full rule through Congressional action to stop the EPA and the Army Corps from expanding federal jurisdiction onto New York farms.

FARM BILL IMPLEMENTATION

NYFB has been closely monitoring the USDA’s rollout of the 2014 Farm Bill. It is imperative the new programs and expanded crop insurance follow the intent of the law that was passed.

Nearly half of the dairy farms in New York state have signed up for the new Margin Protection Program. This will offer a safety net should dropping milk prices fall below a selected margin, which is the gap between the price of milk and the cost of feed. Over the past few months, lower milk prices have underscored the need for effective risk management.   

NYFB will work with lawmakers to insure that it is meeting the needs as it was intended.

The organization will also review the development of new and enhanced programs for specialty crops, including the NAP buy-up crop insurance program.

TRADE

With a growing export market for a number of things that farmers produce in New York, New York Farm Bureau will continue to support the next generation of trade negotiations that remove unscientific barriers and high tariffs and provide new opportunities for our farms.

This includes renewing the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). It is imperative that the White House and Congress be on the same page during trade negotiations.  Swift passage in Congress without additional individual member amendments to already negotiated pacts is essential to having successful trade policy.

NYFB also will continue to oppose limitations based on the use of geographic indicators. New York is a big dairy producing state, but if farms and cooperatives can’t market cheeses based on how they are known around the world, like parmesan for instance, this will put New York products at a serious competitive disadvantage.

LOCAL FOOD AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS

NYFB’s final top priority will be to support additional funding for school and local food purchasing programs, food infrastructure initiatives and food-based entrepreneurship programs.  

Funding for these was allocated in the Farm Bill and it serves many important needs. For one, it connects farmers with those who often have limited access to healthy food, including children and seniors in low income communities or urban food deserts. 

Not only do these programs put food on the table but they also support local farms in New York. 

This priority also includes efforts to increase farmer food donations. Last year, New York’s farmers donated a record amount of food, more than 10 million pounds, to regional food banks across the state. NYFB would like to see that climb even higher.

Its members support the Fighting Hunger Incentive Tax Act that would help offset the costs of harvesting, packaging and transporting the food to the donation site. Corporations, like big box stores, receive a similar tax credit for food donations, and they are not the ones actually growing the food.

“We want to encourage greater donations and provide an important source of fresh, local food for low-income New Yorkers who may not have access to this food otherwise,’ said Elizabeth Wolters, NYFB’s associate director of national affairs. “It’s a win-win for our communities and our farms.”

“New York agriculture is a large part of the state’s economy. Over $5 billion in direct farm receipts and more than 200,000 jobs are created by agriculture," said farm bureau President Norton. "These issues are important to us as we strive to move the economy forward. We look forward to working with our congressional representatives to make sure that happens for us on the national level.”

Economics of Future Farming in New York Topic of Forum Today at Cornell

From Cornell University:



The economic future of agriculture in New York and the Northeast – from dairy and feed grain to fruit ­– will be revealed at Cornell University’s annual Agribusiness Economic Outlook conference from 10 a.m to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10 (today) in Room B-25, Warren Hall on the Cornell campus.

Experts will provide predictions and perspective on the national economy and agriculture, the implications of immigration reform on farm staffing, and outlooks for specific commodities, including dairy products, grains and feed, fruits and vegetables, as well as wine, grapes, and ornamentals. 

The full itinerary and registration information is available online at http://dyson.cornell.edu/outreach/ag_outlook_conference.php
 

New York Farm Bureau President's Statement on Immigration Letter To House of Representatives Leadership

Statement from NY Farm Bureau President Dean Norton:

“New York Farm Bureau very much appreciates the letter that four members of New York’s Republican Congressional delegation sent to their leadership in the House of Representatives, including to Speaker John Boehner.

"The letter signed by Congressmen Chris Gibson, Tom Reed, Richard Hanna and Chris Collins outlines the critical need for agriculture labor reform and underscores the harsh economic reality on farming in this state if nothing is done.

"The letter stresses that 'the inability of New York farmers to access a stable and legal workforce has cost New York jobs, and impacts the safe and reliable supply of food and fiber produced in this state.'

"We are seeing this statement ring true on our farms every day as major business decisions are put on hold out of worries we won’t have the workers needed for the basic farm duties like harvesting the crops or milking the cows. Some of our farmers have even scaled back food production because of a lack of labor.

"While our Representatives were back in their home districts during the August recess, New York Farm Bureau along with a number of other important stakeholder organizations had productive meetings with members of both parties who are eager to find a sensible solution that will not only help our farm economy prosper, but our country’s economy as well.

"It is time we have immigration reform, and we are hopeful the leadership in the House will take the letter to heart and act. As this country continues to have serious discussions about national security, having a safe and reliable food supply grown in the U.S. must be a part of that conversation. The only alternative to immigration reform is importing more of our food,” Norton said. 

New York Farm Bureau worked closely on this effort in conjunction with many others in support of immigration reform. They include the Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA), Farm Credit East, New York State Vegetable Growers Association, Northeast Ag and Feed Alliance, Agrimark, Dairylea Cooperative, and Upstate Niagara Cooperative.

Vilsack Speaks of Farm Labor, Immigration For Labor Day

Weekly column from Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack:

Each year on Labor Day, we take time to reflect on the productivity of America’s workers and our responsibility as a nation to support their efforts.

This year, as we gather to celebrate, Congress has a timely opportunity to create an even stronger American workforce for generations to come. They can do so by fixing America’s broken immigration system.

Vilsack

The broad impacts that immigration reform would have for our economy are well documented.

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office and Social Security Office of the Chief Actuary, the bipartisan Senate immigration reform bill would boost our economy by 3.3 percent, reduce the deficit by a projected $850 billion and add nearly $300 billion to our Social Security system by the end of the decade.

But immigration reform would also address critical labor issues. 

Today’s broken system leaves millions of workers in the shadows – a dangerous situation for these workers and their families – and provides no clarity for U.S. employers, the majority of whom want to do the right thing. At a time when we should be providing rules that empower American productivity, today’s broken immigration system only furthers uncertainty.

This is especially true for agriculture. Farm workers drive an industry that is directly related to one in 12 American jobs. They’re in the fields as crops are planted, cared for and harvested. They’re in packing houses and processing facilities.  They help get food to markets and stores that ends up on kitchen tables across the country.

About half of these workers are unauthorized, and many more are employed under a temporary worker program that is difficult for farmers and farm workers alike to understand. In the years to come, the resulting instability in our agricultural workforce threatens productivity on farms and ranches, and impacts rural communities where agriculture is a thriving part of their economies.

The commonsense immigration reform measure passed in June by the U.S. Senate, with bipartisan support, would provide a comprehensive set of rules to ensure a stable and adequate workforce for agriculture.

It expands and reforms the temporary worker program to allow a three-year visa for agricultural workers, while enacting a pathway to citizenship for temporary workers who are committed to continue working in agriculture.

And it provides a fair opportunity to earn U.S. citizenship for those who are in our country without authorization – a process that will require going to the back of the line, settling taxes and paying fines for those who want to earn citizenship.

The result would be a modern system that makes sense. It would bring millions of farm workers out of the shadows and give them a fair chance to strive for the American dream. It would help farmers and ranchers focus on growing more and expanding their business. It would give agriculture the people power to keep driving economic growth and creating jobs.

This Labor Day, I’m hopeful that Congress can find a way to solve this modern labor challenge facing our nation.

We have a long history in America of supporting those who work hard – and Congress has the chance to make even more progress by passing commonsense immigration reform.

Vilsack: White House Report Shows Benefits of Immigration Reform

This week's column by Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack:

A report released this week http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/07/29/how-immigration-reform-will-benefit-farmers-and-rural-communities by the White House shows the benefits of commonsense immigration reform for rural America.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate passed a commonsense immigration reform measure in a strongly bipartisan fashion. The Senate plan provides a pathway to earned citizenship for those who are in our country without authorization. They will have to go to the back of the line, pay fines and settle taxes they owe our nation.

It would also put in place the toughest border security plan that America has ever seen.

This bill is important for rural America. Our farmers and ranchers are the most productive on earth, but too many are struggling to hire the workers they need. A broken immigration system creates uncertainty for farmers and farm workers alike, threatening our ability to produce and export more in the coming years.

The report released by the White House economic team shows that without a stable workforce, America’s record agricultural productivity will decline in coming years.

The Senate bill addresses this concern by taking much-needed steps to ensure a stable agricultural workforce, and a fair system for U.S. producers and farm workers. In particular, it would give qualifying farm workers an expedited path to earned citizenship, as long as they continue to work in agriculture.

A new temporary worker program would replace the current H-2A visa program over time, and allow farm workers a three-year visa to work year-round in any agricultural job.

This commonsense system wouldn’t just prevent a decline in production – it would grow the economy. Research highlighted in the White House report projects that an expanded temporary worker program would increase both production and exports across our agriculture sector. In the coming years, this would generate billions of dollars in economic benefits for our nation and create tens of thousands of new jobs.

Meanwhile, fixing our broken immigration system would strengthen our nation’s finances. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office found that the Senate bill would reduce the deficit over the next 20 years by nearly $850 billion, and the Social Security Administration estimates that this immigration bill would add nearly $300 billion to the Social Security system in the next decade.

This week’s White House report lays out the many benefits for rural America of immigration reform – from a stable workforce for agriculture, to stronger exports and more good jobs in our small towns.

To remain competitive and keep driving economic growth in rural America, we need rules that work. Rural America needs Congress to act as soon as possible to carry forward the work of the U.S. Senate and fix today's broken immigration system.

Farm Bureau, USDA Speak on Immigration Reform Bill Passed by U.S. Senate

The U.S. Senate today passed its bill on immigration reform.

Yahoo! News reports the following:

The Senate passed a sweeping immigration reform bill on Thursday afternoon, after a recently hashed-out compromise on border security helped convince a total of 14 Republicans to vote for the measure. The bill, which passed 68 to 32, could face a steep uphill climb in the Republican-controlled House.

The vote brings Congress a step closer to passing its first major immigration reform since the 1986 amnesty bill that legalized more than three million immigrants under President Ronald Reagan.

Moments before the vote, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) said on the Senate floor that the "historic legislation recognizes that today's immigrants came for the right reason, the same reason as the generations before them...the right to live in a land that's free."

Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa spoke against the measure on the floor, arguing that it does not do enough to increase interior immigration enforcement. "The bill won't ensure that a future Congress isn't back here in 25 years dealing with the very same problems," Grassley said.

The "Gang of Eight," a bipartisan group of senators who drafted the bill, had hoped to get 70 out of 100 senators to vote to pass the bill and send a strong signal to the Republican-controlled house that the legislation is bipartisan.

The bill fell just two votes short of that goal. Republican Senators Lamar Alexander, Kelly Ayotte, Jeffrey Chiesa, Susan Collins, Bob Corker, Jeff Flake, Lindsay Graham, Orrin Hatch, Dean Heller, John Hoeven, Mark Kirk, John McCain, Lisa Murkowski and Marco Rubio joined the entire Democratic caucus in voting for the measure.

The reform will implement a mandatory, national employment verification system, allow for more legal immigration of low- and high-skilled workers, beef up border security and eventually give green cards to most of the nation's 11 million unauthorized immigrants who pass background checks and pay fines.

Here is a statement from New York Farm Bureau President Dean Norton on the bill passage:

“Today’s passage of comprehensive immigration reform is a major milestone for New York’s farmers. It addresses critical short and long term needs that will better provide a stable workforce on our farms.

"Those needs include allowing employees who are already skilled and working in this state to stay here and eventually obtain legal status. It’s gratifying to see the hard work New York Farm Bureau has demonstrated on behalf of our farm families result in real movement on this issue for the first time in years.

"Currently, our farms face serious challenges in hiring the amount of workers required to plant and harvest the crops and milk the cows. While they always look locally, farmers often turn to migrant workers who are willing to perform jobs that Americans choose not to take.

"Also, there is a fear that if workers have fraudulent documentation, the employees could be detained and deported at a moment’s notice. Losing that productivity can place the future of the family farm in jeopardy if the food is literally left to rot in the fields.  That too puts our local food supply at risk.
 

"Migrant labor is a critical component of our farmers’ ability to supply consumers with the food they want at a reasonable price. NY Farm Bureau has already seen some members scale back production or move to less labor intensive crops because of concerns they have about a lack of labor.

"By limiting the growth of our family farms, we also limit the growth of our rural economies. Immigration reform will help spur agricultural economic development throughout the state.

"There is still a long fight ahead in the U.S. House, but we remain hopeful that the importance of this issue for New York’s farmers and farm workers will be the incentive lawmakers need to do what is right,” Norton said.

Here is a statement from U.S. Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack:

"Today's strong bipartisan vote in the U.S. Senate to fix America's broken immigration system is good news for farmers and ranchers, good news for farm workers, and good news for rural America.

"The Senate plan would ensure the stable agricultural workforce that U.S. producers need in order to remain competitive with other nations and maintain our abundant, affordable food supply. For millions of farm workers who today live in the shadows, it will provide an appropriate opportunity to earn legal status by contributing to America's agricultural economy.

"In addition to being a strongly pro-agriculture bill, the Senate plan would grow the U.S. economy, strengthen the Social Security system and reduce our deficit.

"Following today's strong bipartisan vote by the Senate, the House of Representatives must continue the momentum toward passage of comprehensive immigration reform as soon as possible."

Immigration Issue Affects Both Dairy Farmers and Their Workers

Great story from North Country Public Radio about the immigration issue.

Go to http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/22184/20130617/what-undocumented-dairy-workers-think-of-immigration-reform to check it out.

Vilsack Calls on Congress to Pass Immigration Reform

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack talks about why immigration reform is needed.