In Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, Little Bear Produce had to cut back their acreage because they couldn’t find enough workers to harvest the greens, melons, and onions they’ve farmed since 1984. In Elizabethtown, North Carolina, Blue River Legacy Farms couldn’t find enough local workers to pick their blueberries after over 50 years in operation.

It’s the same story we’ve been hearing for years, from lettuce fields in California’s Salinas Valley to Wisconsin dairies to Washington apple orchards, and it’s not getting any easier. Little Bear Produce, Blue River, and many more are turning to the H-2A guest worker program (which we covered in September) to find the labor that they need. But the best available solutions—like H-2A, or using farm labor contractors—bring their own headaches, costs, and risks.

Finally, some help may be on the horizon in the form of federal legislation: the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (FWMA). This bill already passed the House and is now in the hands of the Senate. It could make a meaningful difference for many farmers and workers, but it needs a serious push from growers like you to get it across the finish line.

What's in the FWMA and how will it benefit you?

In our recent article, we make it easy by breaking down the 5 Things You Need to Know about FWMA.

The FWMA is a large and complex piece of legislation but it covers three main things with many benefits to growers and workers, including:

1. Streamlining and adding flexibility to the H-2A agricultural worker visa program - including simplifying the grower application process and providing funding support to help growers with housing costs.

2. Providing extra protections for H-2A workers, creating a path to legal immigration status and eventually citizenship for undocumented farmworkers, and making it easier for growers to find responsible recruitment partners.

3. Requiring E-Verify employment eligibility screening for agricultural employers and providing undocumented workers pathways to comply.

Does the bill have a chance?

The FWMA passed the house last year but is currently stuck in the Senate. It has bipartisan support, but not enough Republicans have signed on to put it over the 60-votes needed to pass. While many state and local farm lobby groups are behind the bill, the powerful American Farm Bureau Federation is against it for now—though this could change with enough pressure from growers.

Latest reports from Washington are that the best chance for the bill to move forward will be in the lame-duck session after the November election— but this will require a serious push from farmers across the nation.

What can you do to help?

Call your senators and urge them to support this bill. Call now, and keep calling after the election when the bill has the best chance of moving forward.

To find your senators’ phone numbers, click the button below, and select your state from the drop-down menu at the top.

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