Farm Labor

Northwest Asparagus Comes A Tad Early

Anna King — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 23:53:31 +0000

PASCO, Wash. – Northwest farmers are beginning to harvest the first asparagus of the year this week in southeast Washington. That’s a tad earlier than usual. And after last year's farm-labor shortage, growers across the region are keeping an eye on how many asparagus workers show up for the harvest.

At the Middleton farm stand near Pasco, Washington asparagus – both purple and green – is selling by the pound to passersby.

Northwest Farmers Plan To Bring More Mexican Guest Workers North

Anna King — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:30:47 +0000

RICHLAND, Wash. – A group of Northwest farmers plans to bring in thousands of legal Mexican guest workers to their fields and orchards this year. Last season many farmers were scrambling to pick their crops because of a worker shortage.

The federal H-2A guest worker program is so cumbersome and expensive, that most farmers haven’t wanted to use it.

Court Upholds Damage Award In Farm Guest Workers Case

Tom Banse — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 23:00:16 +0000

The Washington Supreme Court Thursday weighed in on long-running case that has implications for labor shortages at Northwest farms and orchards. The high court unanimously upheld a costly damage award against a farm labor contractor that brought in guest workers from Thailand.