California Farmers Backed Trump, but Now Fear Losing Field Workers

Post by mcphage » Sun, Feb 12, 2017, 3:58 PM UTC

patrickg_zill wrote: post #42

The "$20 head of lettuce" argument falls apart when you examine it critically. Here is how I deduced that a $20/hour rate for farm labor, vs the assumed $8/hour rate paid now, would add no more than 5 cents per head of lettuce to the cost, and (assuming various middle-man markups in between farmer and supermarket) a retail difference of perhaps 25 cents. 1. Go to youtube, search for videos of modern lettuce farm oper…

> The "$20 head of lettuce" argument falls apart when you examine it critically.

I'm sorry, what? Your idea of "examine it critically" is to watch a snippet of internet video, assume that it shows the entire picture of produce farming & distibution, and then count people believing that you can use that snippet to calculate costs? You really think this is in any way a meaningful calculation?

Are you for real?

Post by jelliclesfarm » Sun, Feb 12, 2017, 5:06 PM UTC

yellowapple wrote: post #60

jelliclesfarm wrote: post #18

In California..in small farms 1-100 acres : Casual labour from in front of Home Depot parking lot won't work for less than $20-22/hour. Interns(they have to be taught. So for every 3-4 hours they work, a skilled farm labourer can do it in one hour..because the time you take to train them is the time when you are not working.) are paid from $10-12/hour. Knowledgeable farm workers(full time..reliable work..in the sligh…

I ain't exactly an expert in agricultural sector human resources, but I'm pretty sure the guys standing around Home Depot are typically geared around construction rather than farming.

True. I couldn't find another example for comparison of casual labour. They also do simple gardening like tasks like tree planting or cleaning up hedgerows or weed eating or picking 1200 lbs of cherries tomatoes in one day. Landscape companies/gardeners will charge between $25-$80/hour for specific jobs. Sometimes when you are 4-8 hands short..everyone pitches in..and if no one at home will, you have to get whatever help you can..because tomatoes ain't going to harvest themselves!! Vegetable production is brutal when it comes to planning and certainties.

Re: California Farmers Backed Trump, but Now Fear Losing Field Workers

Re: California Farmers Backed Trump, but Now Fear Losing Field Workers