A decline of more than 325,000 U.S. farm workers over the past five years highlights the need to brings changes to farm labor laws, according to a grower’s group.

A partial government shutdown that began Dec. 22 could stretch deep into January and could mean delays and trouble for the H-2A agricultural guest worker program used by produce growers.

The grower industry is suffering from a critical labor shortage, but berry farms that supply Driscoll’s of the Americas have a competitive advantage because they pay their laborers more.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Equitable Food Initiative hopes that its “Responsibly Grown Farmworker Assured” label will elevate the status of those suppliers in the eyes of the produce buying community.

Cathy Burns encouraged suppliers, importers and buyers at the 50th Nogales Produce Convention to take a close look at the Produce Industry Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices and consider endorsing it.

Fueled by a tight supply of legal farm workers, the number of H-2A temporary agricultural workers certified soared by more than 20% in the past year.

It will be a few years before Stemilt Growers LLC uses robots to actually pick its apples, but meanwhile the company is using elevated platforms to make harvest more efficient.

Local food is maintaining its strong appeal in the Twin Cities, but tight and expensive labor make it a challenging business environment for growers.

Eastern apple growers are increasingly using the H-2A program for guest workers, but that doesn’t mean it is easy.

A 10-acre hydroponic greenhouse complex and a large potato farming operation in O’Neill, Neb., were two of several agricultural businesses targeted in raids by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.