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Tagged: Farm Labor

Northwest Farmers

4:53 pm

Thu April 4, 2013

Northwest Asparagus Comes A Tad Early

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Credit Anna King / Northwest News Network

By Anna King

Originally published on Thu April 4, 2013 4:51 pm

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. Bins of fresh asparagus are brought here right off the fields. Workers come and go. At the helm is Laura Middleton.

4:30 pm

Tue February 5, 2013

Northwest Farmers Plan To Bring More Mexican Guest Workers North

Credit Washington Apple Commission

By Anna King

Originally published on Tue February 5, 2013 4:29 pm

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. Employers have to pay for transportation, approved housing and usually more money than the going wage for workers already in the U.S.

4:00 pm

Thu September 27, 2012

Court Upholds Damage Award In Farm Guest Workers Case

Credit Cacophony / Wikipedia

The Temple of Justice on the Washington state capitol campus.

By Tom Banse

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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.

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