Sara’s post on labels and farm workers reminded me of a recent article in The New York Times.  Titled, With Migrant Workers in Short Supply, A Farmer Looks to Machines, the reporter tells the story of Jim Bittner, a farmer in upstate New York who cut down 25 acres of cherry trees because he was concerned he wouldn’t have enough workers to harvest the fruit. This caught my attention for two reasons — first, since I live  just outside Washington, DC, I have a special affinity for cherry trees.  Yes, I know that the trees surrounding the tidal basin that spill forth blossoms in frothy splendor each spring aren’t the same kind of tree that Mr. Bittner grows (or should I say grew), but they’re truly gorgeous.  And second, there’s nothing better than fresh-picked cherries eaten straight out of hand.  Yum! 

But Mr. Bittner’s 25 acres of sweet cherry trees (some 30 years old) are now piles of sticks along with 20 acres of peach trees.  No, it’s not a blight of any sort, and he’s not getting out of farming.  He now plans to grow crops such as blueberries and tart cherries (the kind used in pies) for the simple reason that these crops “could be harvested by machine and did not require migrant workers.”  You see, like farmers around the country, the New York region’s growers rely heavily on migrant workers from Latin America to work the fields and pick the crops.  Unfortunately, with government crackdowns on illegal immigrants, and a lack of reformed immigration policies, these folks are in short supply.

You may think, OK, a fruit is a fruit, no big deal.   And maybe you prefer blueberries to cherries or peaches.  But here’s the point — U.S. immigration policies are causing farmers and food producers to rethink what they’re planting and sourcing.  It’s incongruous that at a time when locavores and foodies want to buy foods within 100 miles of home, they may find a shrinking diversity of foods available.  As the Times’ article notes, “the shift from labor-intensive crops would accelerate if the uncertainy over migrant labor and immigration policies remain unresolved.” 

This is an issue that not only affects the northeast, but is one of the top ag issues in states like California, as well.  Yet another NYTimes story, (I admit it, this is one of my favorite news sources) from 2006 reported tons of pears that rotted on the ground because there were no workers to pick them.  This was a $10 million loss for growers in California.  And pear growers don’t receive those “government subsidies” we’ve been hearing so much talk of lately.

These stories have caused my little brain to spin in too many directions.  First, our TVs and newspapers are filled with stories about rising food prices and food shortages.  Yet in these examples we have food rotting, going to waste, or not being grown at all.

Second, we’re fostering a nation of obese children.  The nutrition and medical communities tell us we can address the problem by feeding them more fruits and vegetables.  But oops, our immigration polices make it difficult for farmers to hire the necessary workers to plant, grow, tend and harvest these healthy, unprocessed foods.  Fresh cherries would be a great after school snack, but because they can’t be picked mechanically, Mr. Bittner is switching to growing tart cherries for pies and baking.  Mmm, I love my cherry pie (especially a la mode), but I suspect the more nutritious choice would be the fresh sweet cherries.

And finally, farmers have enough factors outside their control (weather, insects, fluctuating market prices) that the last thing they need to worry about is planting a crop they’ll later see rot in the field.  Isn’t it time our government leaders come up with a coherent immigration policy that faces the reality that whatever system we have is not working?  I’ll put on my Pollyanna bonnet once again and say that it seems simple to me: There are groups of people who want to come to this country, work very hard, pay taxes, send their kids to school, and work in our fields to produce healthy and nutritous foods.  What’s wrong with that?  If we can’t find a solution, we may face a shortage of homegrown veggies and fruits. 

1. suzannabanana23 Says:
   June 5th, 2008 at 5:08pm

   This is pretty deep, Lisa. Brings to mind (sigh) ANOTHER label “U.S. Picked.” Funny how the immigrants and their children are the ones that suffer for our policies, though, never the big corporations that employ them.



2. Sara Says:
   June 5th, 2008 at 8:01pm

   I am reminded of a headline I saw after the latest round of immigration reform came to the forefront: “Get out of my country, but first clean my pool and pick my vegetables”



3. Weekly Sausage Links « What Would Jesus Eat? Says:
   June 16th, 2008 at 6:24am

   […] Immigration Policies Threaten Food Diversity […]