“Technology can make farms more productive, but it can’t replace the workers who keep our industry moving.”
When I was growing up on the family farm, my dad usually had a hired hand. The faces changed over the years, but there was almost always someone available to help keep the operation running.
Today, that’s no longer a given. My dad will be the first to tell you that good help is hard to find, and I know many farmers would say the same. Across agriculture, producers are struggling to fill jobs that are essential to farms and rural businesses. The industry faces a laundry list of challenges, but growing its workforce is one of the most pressing issues.
Legislation intended to help address farm labor shortages is now in front of Congress as the “Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act.” Introduced June 30, the bill seeks to modernize agricultural labor programs, address year-round workforce needs and provide greater certainty for farmer cooperatives.
Specifically, the SAWA is meant to overhaul the H-2A temporary agricultural visa program, the origins of which go back to 1986. The program allows employers to hire foreign temporary or seasonal agricultural workers if there are not enough U.S. workers capable of or willing to perform the position. The new bill removes the strict requirement that H-2A jobs must be seasonal, allowing contracts up to 350 days to support sectors like dairy that have continuous needs.
SAWA is supported by the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, of which MFA is a member, and backed by more than 400 other farm organizations. NCFC says this is the first bill in years with a “real shot” at fixing H-2A’s limitations while also addressing legal uncertainty co-ops have faced over using the program on members’ behalf. NCFC President Duane Simpson also pointed out that “America’s ability to feed itself is a matter of national security, and that security depends on a legal, reliable agricultural workforce.”
While policymakers will ultimately determine the bill’s future, the discussion shines a light on a much larger issue—who will do the work?
It’s a question that extends far beyond seasonal labor or any single segment. Agriculture depends on skilled individuals to harvest crops, care for livestock, apply fertilizer, drive trucks, repair equipment and keep businesses running. Technology can make farms more productive, but it can’t replace the workers who keep our industry moving.
Solving agriculture’s labor challenge won’t come from Washington alone. It starts in our communities, schools, technical programs and farm families. It starts when we encourage young people to see agriculture not just as an industry, but as a future.
In this issue, you’ll meet nearly 300 students who represent that future as recipients of MFA Foundation scholarships. Whether they pursue careers in agriculture, business, education or skilled trades, they are part of the talent pipeline rural America needs.
The workforce challenge isn’t somebody else’s problem to solve. Each of us has a role in recruiting, mentoring and encouraging the next generation. If agriculture is going to thrive, we must invest in the people who make it possible.
For more articles from the August/September Today's Farmer Magazine, CLICK HERE.