From Field to Fork

Here on Field to Fork on Friday I highlighted the USDA aspects of the Washington, DC meetings PMA Chairman of the Board Bill Schuler, PMA’s Washington representative Tom O’Brien and I had recently. Today I’ll update you on our Congressional visits.

PMA Chairman Bill Schuler, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), PMA President Bryan Silbermann, and United Farm Workers of America President Arturo Rodriguez at a May 12 luncheon to show industry and labor support for AgJOBS.

During a luncheon held in her honor organized by Tom O’Brien and our association allies (ANLA, SAF, United Fresh, and Western Growers), Bill and I met with Senator Dianne Feinstein (Calif.). We thanked her for her continued leadership on the AgJOBS immigration reform proposal and discussed food safety and the Center for Produce Safety – for which the Senator had helped secure funding.

(Note: Following the PMA Board of Directors meeting in Tucson recently – held against the backdrop of the controversial Arizona immigration law – it is clear that the AgJOBS proposal is absolutely critical to the sustainability of the U.S. food supply.)

Bill and the Senator talked about immigration reform, and he noted the support and unity for AgJOBS represented by the farmworker (United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez sat directly across from us), association, and business communities among the luncheon guests.

After lunch, Bill, Tom and I met with Keith Jones, staff director of the House Agriculture Committee’s Horticulture and Organic Agriculture Subcommittee. PMA has a longstanding relationship with Keith, and we were pleased to bring him up to speed on the latest food safety issues.

Staying with the House Ag Committee, we met Representative Jean Schmidt (2nd-OH) and her staff. Schmidt, who is the Ranking Minority Member on Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture, was interested in learning more about industry steps to enhance food safety. After updating her on industry food safety practices, we shared the specific produce industry economic impact district data from PMA’s benchmark study. We also used the economic impact data when we met with Representative Geoff Davis (4th-KY), who serves the district in which Castellini Company is based. During that meeting, Bill underscored the importance of immigration reform and how Castellini’s 1,500 employees in the district would be adversely affected if reform measures are not enacted to provide a sustainable source of farm labor. This has been a consistent message from PMA’s buyer members: AgJOBS is more than just about farm workers, it’s about the entire supply chain.

Looking back after a very busy two days, the importance of bringing industry knowledge and real-world experience to our legislative and regulatory partners has never been more important. Many thanks to Bill for taking time out of a hectic schedule to share his insights on the Hill and at USDA.

In mid October, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois, announced principles for his immigration reform legislation. Recently, Rep. Gutierrez unveiled his full proposal and it is worth noting that the AgJOBS bill is included. AgJOBS is supported by hundreds of organizations representing agricultural employers, farm worker advocates, business, faith, immigrant and civil rights groups.

PMA supports AgJOBS because it addresses the long-term labor needs of agriculture by overhauling the H-2A program while providing fair protections to farmworkers. AgJOBS also provides a critical near-term transition to wider use of reformed H-2A by providing experienced and otherwise law-abiding but unauthorized farmworkers a chance to earn legal status by meeting strict conditions.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are highly perishable and need to be harvested, packaged, and shipped in a timely manner. This is especially important in certain agricultural areas of the U.S. that have small windows of opportunity to harvest their crops due to the seasons. The industry relies on a strong workforce of both domestic and guest workers in order to gather produce from the fields; however, current U.S. guest worker programs do not sufficiently meet our industry’s needs. AgJOBS would meet these needs.

As the immigration discussion continues on Capitol Hill, it’s essential that PMA members offer the real-world experiences of our industry to their members of Congress so they can make informed decisions that provide the labor resources we need. Taking action only involves a few minutes of your time. Get engaged in the grassroots advocacy process now by visiting the PMA Advocacy Action Center.

Earlier this week, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois, announced his principles for immigration reform legislation that would overhaul U.S. immigration laws and give an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country a path to legalization. He expects to introduce the bill sometime in late November after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. While his principles are wide-ranging, it is anticipated that the AgJOBS bill will be included.

Speaking of AgJOBS, the bipartisan bill just gained two more House sponsors (Rep. Ed Pastor from Arizona and Rep. Lloyd Doggett from Texas), bringing the total sponsor count to 20 in the Senate and 55 in the House.

As the immigration debate (be it AgJOBS as a standalone bill or perhaps a future comprehensive reform measure) continues on Capitol Hill, it’s essential that PMA members offer their real-world experiences to their Congressional leaders so they can make informed decisions that provide the labor resources we need. Taking action only involves a few minutes of your time. Get engaged in the grassroots advocacy process now by visiting the PMA Advocacy Action Center.

It’s been a few weeks since our last update on the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2009) and we want to keep you posted on this important bill’s status. Two more co-sponsors in the House have come on board: Steve Rothman (D-NJ) and Jerry McNerney (D-CA). We have also heard that John Shimkus (R-IL) has committed to co-sponsor as well. This bipartisan bill contains the solution for our ag labor issues, and you can help build support.

We thank all members who have written Congress about AgJOBS. As the immigration debate (be it AgJOBS or a comprehensive reform measure) continues on Capitol Hill, it’s essential that PMA members offer the real-world experiences of our industry to your members of Congress so they can make informed decisions that provide the labor resources we need. Taking action only involves a few minutes of your time. Get engaged in the grassroots advocacy process now by visiting the PMA Advocacy Action Center.

We thank all members who have written Congress about the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security (AgJOBS) Act of 2009. To date, 66 messages have been sent via the PMA Advocacy Action Center to Capitol Hill.

However, we need more of you to write in to keep AgJOBS’ momentum moving forward. The bill is not without its opponents. It has been our experience that anti-immigrant networks are large and loud. To counteract their efforts, we need all U.S. PMA members to write Congress supporting AgJOBS.

Raising your voice on AgJOBS will help ensure our industry has the labor it needs to plant, harvest, and pack fresh produce in the United States.

A few weeks ago, the bill was reintroduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Representatives Adam Putnam (R-FL) and Howard Berman (D-CA). The bill currently has 18 co-sponsors in the Senate and 32 in the House. That’s an increase of eight new co-sponsors since the bill was introduced May 14.

It’s essential that PMA members offer the real-world experiences of our industry to your members of Congress so they can make informed decisions that provide the labor resources we need. Taking action only involves a few minutes of your time. Get engaged in the grassroots advocacy process now by visiting the PMA Advocacy Action Center.

Many PMA members have written Congress to support the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security (AgJOBS) Act of 2009 reintroduced May 14. This critically important immigration reform bill seeks to restructure and reform the current H-2A temporary agricultural worker program. For an overview of the bill, visit the PMA Web site.

AgJOBS currently has 26 co-sponsors in the House and 16 in the Senate, which is a good start. But we know we’ll face challenges, so we’ll need every sponsor and every vote we can get – and you can help.

We have heard that organized anti-immigrant networks are already starting to target the reform measure. These groups are large in number and very vocal. To counteract their efforts, we need all U.S. PMA members to write Congress on AgJOBS.

It’s essential that PMA members offer the real-world experiences of our industry to Congress so they can make informed decisions that provide the labor resources we need. Taking action only involves a few minutes of your time. Get engaged in the grassroots advocacy process now by visiting the PMA Advocacy Action Center.