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Ag attorney encourages farmers to become familiar with H-2A program

A Penn State ag attorney says proposed legislation to change the H-2A guestworker program would benefit farmers, but if passed it won’t take effect right away.

Sean High, with the college’s Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, says farmers should become more familiar with the H-2A program in the meantime. He says while it isn’t something to be afraid of, it does come with responsibilities.

“There are a lot of rules and there are a lot of regulations and you have to stay compliant with those rules and regulations,” he says. “It is heavily monitored and it’s not an easy process, but it’s still a process that is doable for a lot of farmers.”

He tells Brownfield the program doesn’t always meet farmer’s needs, which is why there is proposed legislation to correct it.

Congressman Bob Goodlatte introduced the Agricultural Guestworker Act, that would create a new H-2C program to cover year-round employers and provide flexibility to farmers on transportation and housing.

High hosted a webinar on the H-2A program on Wednesday.

Audio: Sean High, Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law