Press Releases & Blogs

A Step Forward — But America’s Farms Still Need Lasting Wage Reform

The U.S. Department of Labor’s new rule to modernize how the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) is calculated is an important and welcome step. For the first time in years, the rule aligns farm wages more closely with real economic trends and introduces a more balanced, skill-based approach. Growers are grateful for this progress -- but history shows that these gains can vanish with the next change in administration. Over the past two decades, AEWR policy has swung like a pendul

Newsroom

4 days ago1 min read

H-2A Guestworker Program Adverse Effect Wage Methodology Updated

OKEMOS, MI – October 6, 2025. Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor announced updates to the AEWR methodology. The Protect Our...

Newsroom

Oct 61 min read

A Broken Baseline: How Flawed AEWR Policy Is Undermining U.S. Produce Farmers And What We Can Do About It

Across the country, fruit and vegetable farmers are sounding the alarm about rising labor costs. While producers have long managed the...

Newsroom

Sep 254 min read

Blog: Michigan’s Specialty Crop Industry at Risk. The Economic Toll of Rising H-A2 Wages

Michigan’s specialty crop industry—spanning apples, asparagus, cherries, blueberries, cucumbers, broccoli, squash and more—is an economic...

Newsroom

Mar 285 min read

Protect Our Produce Petition Gathers 1,425 Signatures, Urges President-Elect Trump to Safeguard U.S. Fruit & Vegetable Production

H-2A guestworkers are essential to the planting, tending, and harvesting of U.S. fruits and vegetables. Federal policymakers must...

Newsroom

Jan 152 min read

In the News

Michigan growers demand transparency from USDA on migrant wages

Crain's Grand Rapids Business