Lisa Tate is a sixth-generation farmer in Ventura County, California, an area that produces billions of dollars worth of fruit and vegetables each year, much of it hand-picked by immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
Tate knows the farms around her well. And she says she can see with her own eyes how raids carried out by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the area’s fields earlier this month, part of President Donald Trump’s migration crackdown, have frightened off workers.
“In the fields, I would say 70% of the workers are gone,” she said in an interview. “If 70% of your workforce doesn’t show up, 70% of your crop doesn’t get picked and can go bad in one day. Most Americans don’t want to do this work. Most farmers here are barely breaking even. I fear this has created a tipping point where many will go bust.”
Well, yeah. Excuse the generalizations, but we don’t live 6 to an apartment or farm housing and ship our wages back home where the dollar goes further. We have to survive here long term and farmers don’t pay COL, savings, and retirement.
Absolutely, if it paid well enough people would do it. Same problem as always: “how do I replace my slave labor force if there aren’t other slaves anymore?!”
Given they also said the farms barely break even mostly means produce doesn’t pay well enough to afford a good deal to workers, either. These things should cost quite a bit more but don’t thanks to immigrant exploitation.
Not sure what the good deal solution would be, though. Still, people attacking undocumented folk definitely live in a racist fantasy world.
From the paywall link:
Lisa Tate is a sixth-generation farmer in Ventura County, California, an area that produces billions of dollars worth of fruit and vegetables each year, much of it hand-picked by immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
Tate knows the farms around her well. And she says she can see with her own eyes how raids carried out by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the area’s fields earlier this month, part of President Donald Trump’s migration crackdown, have frightened off workers.
“In the fields, I would say 70% of the workers are gone,” she said in an interview. “If 70% of your workforce doesn’t show up, 70% of your crop doesn’t get picked and can go bad in one day. Most Americans don’t want to do this work. Most farmers here are barely breaking even. I fear this has created a tipping point where many will go bust.”
Well, yeah. Excuse the generalizations, but we don’t live 6 to an apartment or farm housing and ship our wages back home where the dollar goes further. We have to survive here long term and farmers don’t pay COL, savings, and retirement.
Americans don’t do this because it’s a bad deal.
Absolutely, if it paid well enough people would do it. Same problem as always: “how do I replace my slave labor force if there aren’t other slaves anymore?!”
Given they also said the farms barely break even mostly means produce doesn’t pay well enough to afford a good deal to workers, either. These things should cost quite a bit more but don’t thanks to immigrant exploitation.
Not sure what the good deal solution would be, though. Still, people attacking undocumented folk definitely live in a racist fantasy world.
They’re also cutting food stamps which helps keep farms afloat by increasing demand for food.
Concepts of a plan
This is the goal. I hope everyone is ready for great depression 2.0