The American View of Agriculture
by ALEJANDRO LEPCZYK staff writer
A look behind the scenes of the difficulty of finding seasonal employment in the agricultural industry. The Grand Traverse economy relies heavily on two things: tourism and agriculture. This area has a large farming community. With that farming community comes fresh produce, farmers markets, and cooperatives, not to mention goods that are packaged for sale outside of our immediate area. This industry provides a lot of jobs for the region; however, it is difficult to attract and retain employees, presumably due to the hard work, long hours, and typically lower pay. A 2018 statistic highlighted that only 0.08 percent of American jobs are dependent on agricultural employment. According to the New York Times, in 1987, nearly five million people lived on farms, and that number has consistently decreased by nearly two percent each year. Does Michigan have an effect on the bigger picture of agriculture as a whole? Yes, it does. It is reported that McDonald’s purchased 1.5 million Michigan-sourced apples last year to be cut up and be placed in their ‘Happy Meals.’ This past year Michigan’s treasury published that 104.7 billion dollars are annually contributed to the economy through the agricultural industry. In an age of internet diets and social media trends, a popularity in co-ops and farmers markets have increased the younger generation’s interest in fresh produce, as can be seen at local produce sold at touristy or boutique retailer locations. These places often sell to a more affluent group. Why is there such a lack of interest in seasonal employment when millions of people are out of work? One of our BGQ staffers with agriculture connections confirmed that they were in desperate need for employees. He mentioned that this year not all of the fruit was able to be picked, resulting in a poor season for their farm. Many other local farms have suffered from the same problem. 22 // BGQ // November 2020
Many US farmers have made claims that Americans have moved on from farming to seek opportunities in urban areas. This exodus, which has sometimes been referred to as a brain drain, has resulted in farmers becoming more dependent on migrant workers. Hispanic immigrants pick a wide variety of local fruit, primarily including apples, cherries, and grapes. These workers typically get paid very little; the reason for this is that they are not valued in our current society. Maybe it is time to start appreciating the people who are willing to do the work that many American citizens are not. The problem here is pay; many will often claim that migrant workers are stripping American people of their employment, yet they refuse to raise minimum wage, leaving the situation at an awkward balance. They don’t want the migrants coming into the country but American people have little interest in an agricultural profession. This leaves us with two different choices. Do we offer higher pay? Or do we choose to allow more workers in on work visas? Even musical artist and recent presidential candidate Kanye Omari West spoke about this issue in his 2005 song Heard ‘em Say: “Before you ask me to go get a job today/Can I at least get a raise of the minimum wage?” That same mindset appears to be held by many American citizens who have little interest in farm labor due to the low pay that is often offered. Farming is no longer a profession one can truly take pride in chasing. “There is a very high demand for dependable, skilled labor and it is getting harder to come by,” explained local vineyard manager Craig Cunningham. Mostly focusing on Vinifera wine grapes, Cunningham managed a “baby vineyard” this past season, and ran a crew of only five to seven workers. I also asked Cunningham about the effect COVID-19 has
