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Michigan apple growers find labor through H2A

More Michigan apple growers are turning to the H2A program to secure harvest labor.

Michigan State University Extension fruit educator Mark Longstroth says putting together large hand-harvest crews is increasingly challenging.

“So more and more apple growers have gone to the H2A program, where they contract for foreign labor to come in for a set amount of time.  And they are guaranteed a wage, job and lodging.  And the group comes in and picks.”

He tells Brownfield the temporary ag worker program is especially popular with larger orchards.

Longstroth says the popularity of H2A is tied directly to a shrinking migrant workforce.

“It’s the small growers who only really want four to eight people for three to four days a week that are finding it almost impossible to find any harvest labor other than a few local people.”

 

He suggests children growing up in migrant farm families now dream of a college education instead of following the harvest.

Michigan’s apple harvest is progressing faster than normal, with McIntosh picking winding down in the southeast.

 

 

 

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