Farm Workers: Take our jobs, please!

[Drake]

http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/07/news/economy/farm_worker_jobs/index.htm?hpt=C1

Salient points...

"At least half a million applicants are needed to replace the immigrant workforce, so the union has posted an online application for Americans who want to work on a farm. "

"Since June 24, at least 4,000 people have responded to the application, said Rodriguez. Some are serious responses and others are hate mail. "Only a few dozen have really followed through with the process," he said."

"Most applicants quickly lose interest once the reality sinks in that these are back-breaking jobs in triple-digit temperatures that pay minimum wage, usually without benefits, according to the union. Some small farms are not required to pay minimum wage and in 15 states farms aren't required to offer workers' compensation."

"Williams said that if people who oppose immigration "got their wish and all the unauthorized people went home tomorrow, we would have a crisis. We wouldn't have anyone to pick the crops, milk the cows, or take care of the Christmas trees.""

"Despite the dismal job market in the U.S., where the unemployment rate is 9.5% and 14.6 million people are out of work, there have been few takers."

[sanjuro_ronin]

Is anyone surprised by this?

[dimethylsea]

There is a REASON us rednecks plant gardens, fish and shoot deer for fun, but still like to shop at the Big Box store.


Farming for profit is HARD HARD work. Most of the people I know who do it "farm" cattle or horses (which doesn't require them picking lettuce), and do it as an "aside".

I.e. keep the family "farm" but the real money that pays the light bill comes from "working on the (assembly) line".

"Honest work" (i.e. farming, fishing, etc.) is HORRIBLE.

But if a fellow can have a pleasure garden for produce and the like that's alot of fun.

[uki]

i have gotten into farming alittle recently... fava beans and potatoes are my crop along with my girlfriends variety of crops... we got two pigs we breed for food... one of our friends down the road is the legal caretaker for a 130 acre farm... does it all by hand... pigs, cows, chickens, and several acres of "old world" style peasant farming techniques and practices - holds hay cutting parties where everyone goes out with scythes and cuts the fields down for winter hay... very rewarding work knowing you get more than what you put into it. i personally think every family should have a micro-farm that they tend to and use to sustain themselves. :)

[Lee Chiang Po]

Being retired, I have a garden and fruit trees. I hunt birds, deer, and squirrels, but my favorite meat is wild hogs. I build large fence enclosures with trap doors and catch large numbers of them. I shoot what I can handle at one time and sell or release the rest. I also make my own spirits.
Imagine a large chunk of roast pork served on a bed of rice cooked in pork broth. Also served with several dipping sauces, fresh tomatoes, carrots, various greens, and a variety of fresh fruit. All but the rice being procured, processed, and grown by myself. I do a great deal of fresh water fishing too.
You cannot produce all your needs in todays world, but there is a great satisfaction in producing as much as you can.

[Dragonzbane76]

"Honest work" (i.e. farming, fishing, etc.) is HORRIBLE.

to those allergic to it (i.e. lazy a$$ people, some on wellfare, etc.)

[dimethylsea]

to those allergic to it (i.e. lazy a$$ people, some on wellfare, etc.)


I was implying that when it's all you've got.. yes it is "horrible". I'm not a lazy a$$ person nor am I on welfare. I work hard, but I ain't ABOUT to work a "for profit" farm if I have something else I could be paying the bills with.

My family is only 2 generations off the farm. We know ALL ABOUT how much that sh1t 5ucks!

Ain't nothing wrong with having a patch of land and running some stock on it, or a big ole country garden.. or even keeping a lick and bait out in the woods for venison.. but you start trying to pay the bills with farming or fishing.. UGH. That is going to $UCK!!

[David Jamieson]

The US immigration department is to blame actually.
They know that there is a need for tens of thousands of farm workers permits to be issued.
But what they allocate is only about 5000 a year.

5000!

This means that the problem with illegal immigration is stemming from Immigration policies themselves.

get your poop in a group america, you are barking up the wrong tree. the problem ain't people taking jobs you don't want, the problem is the perception of reality and many americans are struggling with that because they are deluged with lies and deception and opinion editorials all day long.

No wonder the country is messed up on that front.

[MasterKiller]

The US immigration department is to blame actually.
They know that there is a need for tens of thousands of farm workers permits to be issued.
But what they allocate is only about 5000 a year.

5000!

This means that the problem with illegal immigration is stemming from Immigration policies themselves.

get your poop in a group america, you are barking up the wrong tree. the problem ain't people taking jobs you don't want, the problem is the perception of reality and many americans are struggling with that because they are deluged with lies and deception and opinion editorials all day long.

No wonder the country is messed up on that front.

10,000 jobs don't require 10 million immigrants.

[David Jamieson]

10,000 jobs don't require 10 million immigrants.

dude, in Canada we give out 20,000 + migrant farm worker permits in Quebec and Ontario alone! And that is still not enough.

There are way more than 10,000 jobs to fill when it comes to the States and it's southern farming operations and statistically, on paper and quite apparently most "citizens" consider themselves above the jobs that these folks will do to get out of the grind they face in Mexico or south.

Speaking of which, by what authority are you in the new world?
Or me? I don't recall ever seeing any papers or anything for my great grandparents, they just wandered in and started working. Yeah it was a long time ago, but it won't be so long before everyone here was a long time ago too. I wonder if the problem will change or the perception of it?

Currently, I think the problem is immigration policy, xenophobia, misinformation and outright racism.

I also think the problem is that Mexico apparently doesn't know how to properly run a country with as many people as it has, but that's a whole other story.