'They quit after a few hours': Farmers admit they can't find American workers

[NuffSaid]

I am willing to pay an extra few cents to ensure farm workers are paid a decent wage, have rights, and are in a safe work environment.

It's sad so many of you aren't.

You are some very cold people.

Of course you'd be willing to pay more, because your idol is in charge. When Biden was in charge, you (MAGA) were frothing at the mouth over higher prices.

But your idol promised this:


I guess he was lying (again).

 

[Chomsky]

I’ll cop to attempting to making a point by pressing an extreme.

Hey, no biggie.

What will actually occur is they will fund a way to automate the picking of this kind of fruit without damaging it and those jobs will disappear.

See above for the rest of what is, more likely than not, coming if we don’t figure out the notion that same behaviors produce same results.

Yeah, there an article upthread about the automated tomato picker that got something like 98% market penetration in only 5 years!

 

[Chomsky]

It's the free market and capitalism that creates this environment.

Business owners and CEOs saw that they could move their factories from the north down to the south for cheaper labor/more profit. Then they saw they could move their labor force to China for cheaper labor/more profit.

Farmers saw that they could employ migrant workers for cheaper labor/more profit.

If left to their own devices, the capitalists would have banned unions, we would have no minimum wage and people would still be buying everything at the company store.

So, if we're going to make it where we don't have any migrant workers and we're paying pretty good money (and benefits) so that Americans will take those hard jobs then we're probably going to have to pass laws to force the capitalists/business owners/CEOs and the free enterprise people to pay more.

Consumers will also have to be prepared to pay a lot more for groceries permanently going forward.

Technically, it is the global free-market doing this. You are right in this. But I was predicating my "free-market" argument to legal employment. In other words, within the law.

As to "paying more for groceries", I'm not so sure. The USDA claims the total farm labour cost as a percentage of total producer cost is 13%. That's producer cost at the farm, not including transportation, wholesaler, and retailer added costs. I did a cost analysis upthread showing a doubling of farm labour wages would likely result in less than a 10% increase on retail shelves.

Perhaps you might consider looking at the USDA data and my analysis, linked below?

Here:

Post in thread ''They quit after a few hours': Farmers admit they can't find American workers'

Jun 30, 2025

Of course they will because they can pass those costs on. Get ready for the $6 tomato. It’s coming.

Altrightee. Even while I'm taking much of the other side of this issue, compared to many of my more regular "compatriots", I do see yours and others' opposing points.

But, I see rightful claims often being expressed overtly hyperbolically.

I did a quick looksee, and found 13% of a farmer's production costs are due to total labour costs. Google A.I also states this. According to my source (USDA), these labour costs also including worker benefits & insurance. Given that...

• Chomsky

• 

 

[Sooner or Later]

Technically, it is the global free-market doing this. You are right in this. But I was predicating my "free-market" argument to legal employment. In other words, within the law.

As to "paying more for groceries", I'm not so sure. The USDA claims the total farm labour cost as a percentage of total producer cost is 13%. That's producer cost at the farm, not including transportation, wholesaler, and retailer added costs. I did a cost analysis upthread showing a doubling of farm labour wages would likely result in less than a 10% increase on retail shelves.

Perhaps you might consider looking at the USDA data and my analysis, linked below?

Here:

Post in thread ''They quit after a few hours': Farmers admit they can't find American workers'

Jun 30, 2025

Of course they will because they can pass those costs on. Get ready for the $6 tomato. It’s coming.

Altrightee. Even while I'm taking much of the other side of this issue, compared to many of my more regular "compatriots", I do see yours and others' opposing points.

But, I see rightful claims often being expressed overtly hyperbolically.

I did a quick looksee, and found 13% of a farmer's production costs are due to total labour costs. Google A.I also states this. According to my source (USDA), these labour costs also including worker benefits & insurance. Given that...

• Chomsky

• 

Depending on product some labor costs are higher.

Overall, I do agree with your post.

 

[Chomsky]

Depending on product some labor costs are higher.

Obviously. The USDA's 13% producer cost is the national average, across all products and geographic areas.

Quite honestly, I was surprised labour costs were that low. With producer labour costs so low, I figured I didn't need to research the additional transport, wholesaler, and retailor costs, to make my argument.

Here below is a more detailed labour cost break-out, from the USDA data linked in my regferenced post, if you're interested:

Overall, I do agree with your post.

Thank you. Much appreciated!

 

[CaughtInThe]

Technically, it is the global free-market doing this. You are right in this. But I was predicating my "free-market" argument to legal employment. In other words, within the law.

As to "paying more for groceries", I'm not so sure. The USDA claims the total farm labour cost as a percentage of total producer cost is 13%. That's producer cost at the farm, not including transportation, wholesaler, and retailer added costs. I did a cost analysis upthread showing a doubling of farm labour wages would likely result in less than a 10% increase on retail shelves.

Perhaps you might consider looking at the USDA data and my analysis, linked below?

Here:

Post in thread ''They quit after a few hours': Farmers admit they can't find American workers'

Jun 30, 2025

Of course they will because they can pass those costs on. Get ready for the $6 tomato. It’s coming.

Altrightee. Even while I'm taking much of the other side of this issue, compared to many of my more regular "compatriots", I do see yours and others' opposing points.

But, I see rightful claims often being expressed overtly hyperbolically.

I did a quick looksee, and found 13% of a farmer's production costs are due to total labour costs. Google A.I also states this. According to my source (USDA), these labour costs also including worker benefits & insurance. Given that...

• Chomsky

• 

I've been a business owner forever. If our costs go up then so do the prices of our clients. Many times more so than the costs

Hell, once Trump started talking about his tariffs I immediately ordered for our time and materials / labor prices to increase. So now our profits have increased.

 

[Chomsky]

I've been a business owner forever. If our costs go up then so do the prices of our clients. Many times more so than the costs

Hell, once Trump started talking about his tariffs I immediately ordered for our time and materials / labor prices to increase. So now our profits have increased.

Given Trump propensity to TACO, you may have a nicely profitable year!

 

[bullseyelqcs]

What they are saying is that they can no longer find someone to work the farms for 2 dollars an hour.

Why do you support slave wages?

Of course not.....that said, that ship sailed a long time ago. You are never going to convince farmers who are already screaming about razor thin margins to pay the wages they need in order to accomplish the goals they claim to support, because in order to accomplish the goal they say they support (all while thier every action points to the contrary, no less), they would have to make those jobs appealing to American workers, and they have repeatedly told us they "can't" afford to do that. That leaves us with the option of no longer shitting on immigrant workers who are willing to do the job for the wages being paid because in the end it benefits us AND them. These are no longer jobs that Mexicans and the like are "stealing" from Americans....the proof is now out in the light of day. These are jobs that the overwhelming majority of Americans simply aren't going to do for the prevailing wage.

What is YOUR proposed solution to this problem?

 

[bullseyelqcs]

Then why do only migrants work there?

There are plenty of other shitty jobs people do for minimum wage.

Because almost to a person, $16.50 an hour is 5 or so times more than they can earn back home. If they live modestly while they are here for a few months a year, they can live quite comfortably on that money back home. For the ones that are here more long term, $16.50 an hour and the modest lifestyle it provides them here is still significantly better than whatever life they left to come here.

Sure, there are plenty of shitty jobs people do for minimum wage....does that mean that we should be fine with providing nothing more than a subsistence level of living for citizens of this country?

 

[Girlpower]

Because almost to a person, $16.50 an hour is 5 or so times more than they can earn back home. If they live modestly while they are here for a few months a year, they can live quite comfortably on that money back home. For the ones that are here more long term, $16.50 an hour and the modest lifestyle it provides them here is still significantly better than whatever life they left to come here.

Sure, there are plenty of shitty jobs people do for minimum wage....does that mean that we should be fine with providing nothing more than a subsistence level of living for citizens of this country?

Then let them come here legally to work.

Why are you against that?

 

[Girlpower]

Of course not.....that said, that ship sailed a long time ago. You are never going to convince farmers who are already screaming about razor thin margins to pay the wages they need in order to accomplish the goals they claim to support, because in order to accomplish the goal they say they support (all while thier every action points to the contrary, no less), they would have to make those jobs appealing to American workers, and they have repeatedly told us they "can't" afford to do that. That leaves us with the option of no longer shitting on immigrant workers who are willing to do the job for the wages being paid because in the end it benefits us AND them. These are no longer jobs that Mexicans and the like are "stealing" from Americans....the proof is now out in the light of day. These are jobs that the overwhelming majority of Americans simply aren't going to do for the prevailing wage.

What is YOUR proposed solution to this problem?

What razor thin margins?

They make plenty of money.

 

[SoCal]

So white people won't work for peanuts but hispanics will?

You have no idea how racist that is and that's the scary part.

 

[CaughtInThe]

Given Trump propensity to TACO, you may have a nicely profitable year!

I'm not going to play his game for 4 years. We're just going to continue to increase prices.

Our clients are tied into us so they pretty much have to move a mountain to change away from us.

None of this would have been happening if not for Trump.

 

[CaughtInThe]

You guys do realize that when Trump wants a building built (of his own) he employs migrant workers, correct?

 

[bullseyelqcs]

Then let them come here legally to work.

Why are you against that?

I'm not. As a matter of fact, I am a proponent of making the process of becoming legal simpler and faster than it currently is.

 

[bullseyelqcs]

What razor thin margins?

They make plenty of money.

You seem to be conflating the amount of money they are bringing in with how much they actually make. Sure, they might bring in 1M bucks, as an example. If it costs them 950K to operate for the year, then they only made 50K in profit. Thats a pretty small return on investment, or margin, as it were.

 

[bullseyelqcs]

So white people won't work for peanuts but hispanics will?

You have no idea how racist that is and that's the scary part.

They apparently won't do THAT kind of work for peanuts.

That said.....why ANYONE would or should be working for peanuts is the bigger issue.

 

[Girlpower]

They apparently won't do THAT kind of work for peanuts.

That said.....why ANYONE would or should be working for peanuts is the bigger issue.

Because liberals create that environment.

Instead of pushing for them to come here legally they encourage them to come here illegally making them afraid and working for peanuts so they don't get turned in and arrested.

This is the major problem with illegal immigration; the abuse that liberals inflict on decent people.

 

[Girlpower]

I'm not. As a matter of fact, I am a proponent of making the process of becoming legal simpler and faster than it currently is.

I've no probem with that but the problem is that liberals have let in so many illegals that our court systems are clogged up making it extremely difficult for a migrant to get through the system in a timely manner.

 

[noonereal]

Good job MAGAs/MAGA kids who, you know, eat.



"In a deep dive focusing on one farmer who voted for Trump, 36-year-old J.J. Ficke of Kirk, Colorado, the Washington Post is reporting that he along with other farmers are facing possible ruination now that the round-up of immigrants have begun in earnest and promised helpis uncertain."

...

"The federal government had promised JJ a $200,000 grant ... "But then Trump, in the earliest days of his second term, threatened to break tens of thousands of those deals, suspending billions in agricultural funding and decimating the staffs that managed it. Swept up in the freeze was JJ and the $50 million grant program he’d signed up for along with 140 other farmers across the country."

...

Noting, "JJ had joined 81 percent of Yuma County’s voters in supporting Trump, whom he considered the better of two bad options," the report added, "JJ’s grant was frozen in late January as top administrators considered whether to cancel it. Over the next two months, more than 20 farmers requested $4 million owed to them, according to documents reviewed by The Post. None were paid."

'They quit after a few hours': Farmers admit they can't find American workers

In interviews with the Washington Post, multiple farmers expressed their dismay with the loss of farm workers under Donald Trump's harsh immigration policies and his administration's waffling on subsidies.In a deep dive focusing on one farmer who voted for Trump, 36-year-old J.J. Ficke of Kirk...

www.rawstory.com

We are always paying farmers. It is ****in sick.

 

[CaughtInThe]

Instead of pushing for them to come here legally they encourage them to come here illegally making them afraid and working for peanuts so they don't get turned in and arrested.

You literally just described the owners of the farms tons of whom are republicans.

If you have a pipe, you should put that in it and smoke it.

 

[Michael Cole]

Because liberals create that environment.

Instead of pushing for them to come here legally they encourage them to come here illegally making them afraid and working for peanuts so they don't get turned in and arrested.

This is the major problem with illegal immigration; the abuse that liberals inflict on decent people.

I've no probem with that but the problem is that liberals have let in so many illegals that our court systems are clogged up making it extremely difficult for a migrant to get through the system in a timely manner.

It's sooooo cute that you think liberals control demand for immigrant labor. Powerful people, those liberals. They control farms, farm labor and spaces in MAGA heads, rent free.

 

[bullseyelqcs]

I've no probem with that but the problem is that liberals have let in so many illegals that our court systems are clogged up making it extremely difficult for a migrant to get through the system in a timely manner.

You have that backwards.....they end up being here illegally because the court system was already clogged up because of how long the process currently takes. There has never been anything timely about the immigration process.

 

[Girlpower]

You have that backwards.....they end up being here illegally because the court system was already clogged up because of how long the process currently takes. There has never been anything timely about the immigration process.

And why is the process clogged up?

 

[bullseyelqcs]

And why is the process clogged up?

Not IS.....was. The process has always taken way too long. Currently, the average length of time to get cases heard is almost 4.5 years. That is ridiculous. To answer your question though, its currently clogged up because of the number of people who are TRYING to do it right. That shouldn't be happening. To make matters worse, NOW the administration is using dirty tactics to punish even those who were trying to do the right thing by denying applications and then arresting and deporting those people outside of their hearings. Talk about removing the incentive to try to do the right thing.