"Immigration Issues End a Grower's Season"

Today's New York Times features a story about the difficulties of finding workers who can pick 10,000 tomatoes a day. For Pennsylvania farmer Keith Eckel, these challenges have put him out of business. He handled it for 35 years -- proper documents, migrant worker forms, Labor Department forms, and agricultural visa privilege forms, but this year all the right recruitment efforts and the proper forms have failed. Eckel's labor contractor has explained that workers are scared and afraid to travel. Even in the case of people with all the right forms, some are concerned that America and its ever-increasing documentation requirements are simply too difficult, too unwelcoming. For journalist Paul Vitello's full story, click here. Mr. Eckel has not made the decision as to whether he will plant next year.

All three presidential candidates -- Clinton, Obama & McCain, favor a path to legalization for illegal immigrants that includes learning English and paying fines. Both Obama and Clinton would also toughen penalties for illegal immigrants. All three have voted for measures which would secure U.S. borders.

Farmers Pay Price for Nation's Immigration Woes

The good news: There is a crop. The bad news -- Who's going to bring the crop in?

Farm Bureau leaders talk with White House officials

Thursday, August 16, 2007, 1:34 PM, Brownfield Ag News For America
Wisconsin Farm Bureau president, Bill Bruins says White House officials have every intention to push-ahead with enforcement plans. “I believe that the Administration is cracking-down on these mismatched Social Security numbers to prove to the country and to Congress that they can respond and enforce the rules that are on the books.”

The New York Times give more detail in a story by Lisa W. Foderaro.

"Plenty of Apples, but Possibly a Shortage of Immigrant Pickers"
This story details the plight of apple growers in upstate New York, but more farmers around the country are hurting for workers, too. See the Times' coverage on "Immigration and Refugees" for further detail.

Read more:
Center for America Progress -- Tough but Fair on Immigration
Center for Immigration Studies
Pew Hispanic Center