With all the issues facing agriculture today, ag labor continues to rank at or near the top of the list.
“The leaders of all of my membership, all the farmer owned cooperatives across the country, labor and the availability of a workforce is their number one issue,” says Chuck Conner, Benton County native and current President and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.
Conner served as USDA Deputy Secretary and Acting Secretary in the George W. Bush Administration.
He says ag labor isn’t a new issue. In fact, it’s an issue that’s been around since he was a staffer on the Senate Ag Committee.
“I worked on the last ag labor bill that passed in 1986. This has been four decades ago.”
In addressing ag labor concerns, many want reform to the H-2A guest worker program, but Conner says that doesn’t solve problems in every ag industry.
“We can’t bring in legal foreign workers to work in our dairy operations. That is considered full-time work. Our H-2A program is banned from providing anything for year-round work in that regard.”
Some organizations are looking to get creative in how they attract talent, like NCFC member Keystone Cooperative. They’ve implemented their SEED program for graduating FFA members.
It’s a two-year developmental program where they’re hired full-time at Keystone to explore different aspects of the business before choosing what area interests them most. Keystone’s Lindsay Sankey explains some of the benefits.
“We’re paying for their CDLs, their applicators license, Pork Quality Assurance training, propane safety training. They essentially start earning money the first day that they show up in the SEED program, and we take care of all that financial burden.”
All that plus full-time pay and benefits. The deadline to apply for the SEED program is January 31st. Visit keystonecoop.com/careers.
Source: USDA Radio Newsline
