Farm labor pool all but dried up

April 7, 2008 7:58 am

Tougher immigrant rules leave farmers without many options when trying to harvest.

Greg Donaldson can't relate to Lou Dobbs' gripes about illegal immigrants taking Americans' jobs.

The Mansfield Township farmer says he'd love to hire his neighbors to work at his 800-acre farm, but no one is willing. And it's even tough to get immigrant workers these days, Donaldson said.
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"There's definitely fewer people coming to look for work," he said. "That's probably one of the things I hate worst about farming, getting workers."

Donaldson isn't the only farmer facing a labor shortage. The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau ranks labor shortage among its top issues. The state's largest tomato producer called it quits last month out of fear he wouldn't have enough workers to pick his crop.

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