Ag labor has been a significant concern for farmers for decades. Some industry leaders say that if foreign-born workers are deported, it will be hard to find replacements.
According to the National Council of Farmers Cooperatives (NCFC), President and CEO Chuck Conner says, there is only one other option.
“The alternative, you know, to growing it here in America -- having handled, processed, and harvested with foreign-born workers -- is that we simply move that production,” Conner explained. “Down to where those foreign-born workers may have probably come from, originally anyway, out of this country.”
However, Connor said that would impact food quality in America in a dramatic way.
“If you surveyed most consumers, they may not understand -- but if you asked them, ‘Would you rather [your food] be produced here in the United States?’ They would say, ‘Heck yes.’” Connor said. “And I think food safety is one of the key reasons they would say, ‘heck yes,’ and it’s not just a nationalism kind of thing. They believe U.S. products would be better and safer.”
Connor added, there’s a growing demand among consumers for more information about where their food comes from – and, he said, that’s a good thing.
In today’s Firm to Farm blog post, Roger McOwen breaks down the Court’s regulations on unconstitutional federal power and the ruling’s impact on BOI reporting.
March 11, 2024 03:00 PM
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As we start the new year, let’s take a look at some of the legislative items from 2023 affecting agriculture that will continue to play out in the political area for months to come.
January 02, 2024 12:00 PM
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As I try to catch up on my writing after being on the road for a lengthy time, I have several recurring themes in my legal work. Another potpourri of random ag law and tax issues — that is the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV Agrilegal Expert Roger McEowen.
October 31, 2023 02:21 PM
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To mark the end of National Chicken Month, we take a look at how the U.S. poultry industry is making a slow and steady recovery following the widespread outbreak of High-Path Avian Flu (HPAI) in 2022 that devastated commercial flocks across the country.
September 29, 2023 02:44 PM
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Seven out of the eight major fertilizers saw recent price decreases. However, one key type of fertilizer bucked the overall trend with an 11-percent rise.
September 21, 2023 11:02 AM
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Dr. Tim Boring with the Michigan Department of Agriculture shed light on the current challenges and opportunities impacting farmers across the State in a conversation with RFD-TV’s own Tammi Arender at the NASDA Annual Meeting this week in Wyoming.
September 13, 2023 02:07 PM
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