Comedian Stephen Colbert was a migrant worker for a day during the summer at the Gill Farm in Hurley. His testimony to Congress last month might have caused a few laughs, but experts in the Hudson Valley say that his underlying message of a growing shortage of labor on farms is no joke. And unless the situation improves, food prices and farmland could be threatened.
In August, Colbert spent a workday at Gill Farm as part of the United Farm Workers “Take our Job” challenge, inviting Americans to work in the fields alongside migrant farm labor. In his testimony to Congress in late September, Colbert noted he was one of only seven Americans to accept.
Americans”™ unwillingness to work in farm fields is no surprise to farmers and state regulators in the Hudson Valley. They say migrant workers are essential to successful farming regionally and nationwide and that farm labor issues and immigration reform must be separated in the national dialogue.
“We have no labor force within (our borders),” said John Gill, a third- generation family farmer whose cornfields and other crops need about 100 workers per season to be fully productive. “We are forced to go outside the country to hire these people because no one else wants to do this work.”
“We try to recruit labor all the time,” said Tommy Zangrillo, owner of the 150-acre Scattered Acres Farm L.L.C. in Chester. “It”™s just a simple statement of fact, in this day and age, most Americans don”™t want to do that kind of labor. It”™s hot, you have to work outside, and you get your hands dirty. We have been trying to recruit local labor for 25 years, unsuccessfully.”
Continuing labor shortages could threaten food prices and harm what is being called food security. The federal guest worker laws known as H-2 statutes should be improved, say advocates to make it easier for those seeking farm employment to come to this country and leave again when the season is done.
The state Department of Labor estimates there are about 1,000 migrant workers in the Hudson Valley during peak season, including apple-pickers on a few orchards in Westchester County.
While that number has held steady in the region, said Glen Holt, a Labor Department rural labor service representative, he said the Black Dirt region of Orange County is seeing an increased need for farm labor because farmers are diversifying, rather than continuing past practice of growing only onions. He said while four workers can successfully service a 100-acre onion mono-cropping farm, 25 workers or more could be needed to work a diversified acreage.
Holt said the situation is likely to further tighten as farmers diversify and said a labor shortage is a troubling possibility.
“This year, things were very, very tight; we didn”™t have any extra people at all,” Holt said. “We got by, but it was tough. Yes, it is something to be concerned about.”
The idea migrant workers are mistreated is “nonsense,” he said, noting they have protection from county and state inspectors, must receive an agreed upon minimum wage exceeding $10 and have a written contract specifying working conditions and pay.
John Gill said proof of good treatment is that most of his crew of workers has returned each year for 17 summers to work on his farm.
“These people are good people. They are hard workers and they are all we have,” Gill said. “Without them the price of food would skyrocket.”
“We need a usable guest worker program for this country,” said Gill. “An agricultural jobs bill that is separated from immigration reform. It”™s two entirely different things. Most of these workers want to make their money and go back home to their families and enjoy the winter.”
