Michigan Farm Labor Crisis

LANSING - May 11/07 - MFB -- They should be harvesting asparagus not mowing it, but that's the only option left for some Michigan asparagus growers who are experiencing shortages for farm labor.

During the harvest season from now to mid-June , asparagus spears emerge from the soil every few days, meaning within a year a field can be harvested 20 to 30 times.

The quick-growing crop is primarily harvested by hand, so if there isn't a work force to do the job, growers are often forced to forego any profit from that harvest and mow the field to allow for new growth in a few days - with hopes they'll have a good supply of workers by then. "You mow it to slow it," growers will say.

However, each mowing costs the grower, on average, 2.5 harvests, so growers who were mowing their fourth or fifth harvest this week will likely lose about 15% of their total crop, said John Bakker, executive director of the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board.

It's a drastic measure that cuts overall production, but there's little choice for some farmers who have trouble getting labor into the fields, he said.

"Growers are saying that if they need four crews, they're getting three," said Bakker. "Some of them are getting less than half the labor they need, and so they're mowing."

The situation is clear evidence of the need for immigration reform, said Ryan Findlay, Michigan Farm Bureau associate legislative counsel.

"Perfectly good fields are going unharvested, but it doesn't have to be this way," said Findlay. "For years guest workers have provided the work force and the specialized skills necessary to sustain Michigan's agriculture industry. With a better approach to securing guest workers we can maintain this important link in our food supply chain.

"The U.S. Senate plans to discuss immigration next week, and Farm Bureau is urging senators to make a guest worker program part of that discussion and to see to it that the program can fix short-term labor challenges as we're experiencing in Michigan now as well as those predicted for the long-term."

Sarah Greiner, co-owner of Todd Greiner Farms near Hart, said the farm hasn't had to mow yet, "but we're hearing that about 10% of the asparagus acreage is being mowed."

In Berrien County, asparagus grower Rodney Winkel said so far he's had enough seasonal labor to pick asparagus for processing markets, but he's had to send five year-round employees to the fields at the expense of other vegetable and fruit crops that need herbicides and other spray applications.

"I just hired five or six people in the last couple days, and we're hearing that some citrus or other crops in Florida are finishing up, so we expect to have a few more on their way," Winkel said. "But in the meantime, everyone is working longer hours. We're picking from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and are keeping up, but it will all catch up to us in June when we start planting vegetables and need 100 people we don't have."

Seasonal laborers know they're in high demand and short supply, Greiner said, and are demanding jobs in the relative cool and comfort of the packing barn.

"Most people would much rather pack asparagus than pick it, and we've had to increase pay for picking just to get them out there," she said. "That cuts into our bottom line."

If the situation remains as grim in future years, Greiner said, they'll have to invest more money in mechanical packing and pickers.

"We just installed a packing line that cut our labor needs there from about 24 people to 16, and we've looked at mechanical harvesters, but there's nothing out there we've seen that's proven to do a good harvesting job," she said. "But getting more automated may be the only solution we have. It's a huge investment, but when you look at the long run, it may be what we have to do."

At this point, the shortfall isn't expected to raise the price of asparagus for consumers, said Bakker.

"It's not going to make a price difference," he said. "I'm sure China or Peru will be more than happy to fill the void."

Copyright (c) 2007 Michigan Farm Bureau