Forced Farm Work Doesn't Work
I see that America is thinking of using forced labour to replace deported immigrants on farms. Human ethics issues aside, I don't think this will be a good deal for farmers.
Here's why....
For 11 years I worked seasonally at an organic certified blueberry farm. The first couple of years I worked for piece rates along with overseas backpackers. Eventually I worked up to being the leading hand. I trained and supervised the workers, planned the harvest days, managed the packing shed, inventory and learned how to prune and manage blueberry plants. I learnt a lot. I sweated a lot.
Fruit picking is hard work in often extreme weather conditions - for berries you are working in the heat. To be of any use to a farmer the picker needs to work at speed, maintain high standards, pick correctly, handle the fruit properly, sort, grade and pack accurately and do this for hours on end, days on end and in many cases for months on end.
The farmer needs people who can shoulder this work. Damaged fruit through rough handling, unripe fruit picked too soon, damaged plants or crops not getting harvested in time cost the farmer their livelihood. A picker needs to be able to learn quick, work quick and endure. Training people up takes time. This becomes wasted time (and money) if the picker leaves the job or does not become a useful resource for the farmer.
Anyone in government who thinks that forcing people (immigrants, welfare recipients, addicts, single mums, whatever) into farm work to make them 'pay their way' is delusional.
Agricultural conscription will not 'help' farmers. Sending farmers a forced mixed bag of 'too hard basket' people to deal with is an insult to the farming profession and the people who work in it. It also shows a complete ignorance about what it takes to produce food and get it to the table.
America, if you have a rural labour shortage problem right now then ask YOUR FARMERS what it is that they need to fix it. I can guarantee that it will not be busloads of rounded up welfare recipients.
