NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — Access to quality labor is a challenge for farmers and ranchers right now. In North Carolina, one grower says that workforce issues and problems with the H-2A visa program stand above the rest.
“About a decade ago, out of necessity, we did transition to the H-2A program because the local workforce just was not available, was not reliable, and, quite frankly, couldn’t get the job done,” said Brandon Baten of Triple B Farms in North Carolina. “And as expensive and onerous as the program is, it’s more expensive to plant a crop and not be able to get it harvested.
Baten said his operation has adopted mechanized technology as much as possible to offset labor-related issues.
“In light of these labor challenges, we have mechanized our operation as much as we can to reduce reliance on labor,” Baten explained. “But with the high-value crops and the crops we grow here in North Carolina, we have to have a certain amount to get those to the shelves.”
Farmers in Georgia are also pushing for changes to the H-2A program. Ag officials there say plans to lower the ‘adverse effect wage rate’ could reduce hourly rates by about $2, explained Krista Boswell, advisor to the “Grow It Here” campaign, which represents a variety of commodities, including livestock and dairy products, and produce growers.
“But in a program rife with abuse, expanding it would just cause more abuse and exploitation of migrant farmworkers — especially when calls for expansion are accompanied by the rollback of important worker protections,” she said.
Boswell, also a former USDA official under President Trump’s first administration, says a strong, stable workforce is essential to keeping farms in business and keeping food affordable.
“I’ve been working on this issue for 15 years,” Boswell said. “The situations, the circumstances, have worsened. Labor costs have increased. We’ve seen a trade deficit in specialty crops, fruits, and vegetables. I think it is going to continue to elevate.”
The group is planning listening sessions across the country to push for a more reliable workforce. They also created a proposal with the necessary changes to the H-2A program, such as extending it year-round.
Labor Casts A Shadow on an Otherwise Bumper Cherry Crop
Northwest Cherry Growers are celebrating their biggest harvest in six years, but not everyone is popping the champagne. Labor hurdles left some fruit on trees, leaving some analysts to question how strong this season really was.
“The charges that they’re requiring for overtime on labor are really making it hard on the grower,” explained Karley Lange, Director of Domestic Promotions for Northwest Cherry Growers. “The workers want to come up. They want to work that extra time. They want to make the extra money, you know, and go home. They don’t want to just work 40 hours a week and then hang out because they have nothing else to do.”
There were some bright spots this season, and Lange says Northwest Growers exceeded their export benchmark. However, export markets are not a true sign of relief for the sector.
“The international market actually did pretty well this year,” she said. “We still exported -- with all the tariffs and everything that was going on at the beginning of the season -- 31.4%. So, that was good to see. We like hitting over that 30% mark.”
Lange adds that domestic retail pricing has been an issue for growers over the past four seasons. She says that is leading both growers and shippers to exit the industry.
New H-2A Rules Aim to Speed Up Hiring, Clarify Pay
Farmers who rely on H-2A workers will see a few key changes this fall designed to speed up the process and make it fairer.
The H-2A program — which brings in seasonal farmworkers from other countries — is jointly managed by the State Department, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Labor (DOL). Each agency updated parts of the program in 2025.
The State Department will allow certain visa renewals without an interview starting October 1. Workers renewing within 12 months of their last visa, with clean records and no changes in eligibility, can skip the in-person step—saving both time and travel.
On wages, a court overturned DOL’s 2023 formula for the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) — the hourly minimum farms must pay H-2A workers. DOL’s new rule, effective October 2, now bases pay on federal Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) data instead of the discontinued Farm Labor Survey. The rule also sets different pay rates for entry-level and experienced jobs. Farmers can submit comments on the change through December 1.
DHS also streamlined paperwork. Employers can now file visa petitions earlier, right after getting a “notice of acceptance” from DOL—rather than waiting for final certification. This allows agencies to process applications simultaneously, reducing delays.
