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 pendulum, leaving farmers unable to plan or compete in a global

market. Without a permanent, bipartisan fix, the same economic pressures that have already driven 16,000 acres of Michigan fruits and vegetables out of production could return within just a few years.

Our latest 2-page brief outlines what’s at stake -- and why stabilizing AEWR policy is vital to protect American farms, jobs, and food security.

👉 Read the full brief:  America’s Farms on the Brink