Dear Editor of the Battle Creek Enquirer,
As a proud fruit and vegetable grower in SW Michigan, my family has worked to provide safe, affordable, and healthy food to our community for years. Having a stable labor force is a key component in the operation of a farm. Recently, many farmers have turned to the federal H-2A program for their labor needs. This program provides a seasonal contracted workforce to agriculture that is reliable, and until recently affordable. We need this program to help grow our fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, with methodology from the Department of Labor, growers are subject to an Adverse Effect Wage Rate which in Michigan has skyrocketed to over $18 per hour. This rate has increased by 60% higher in the last 10 years and simply put is on an unsustainable path. If agriculture loses this important program due to bureaucratic inefficiencies, we as a Nation will be forced to rely on foreign countries to feed ourselves. While some in Congress are keenly aware of this impending disaster, action from Washington is required to correct this runaway train. We must help our elected officials in Washington understand that they must act, because the time to protect our produce is now.
Respectfully,
Bill Schultz
Vice President
Schultz Fruitridge Farms
Mattawan, MI
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