In rural Maine, farmers worry migrant workers will be too afraid to show up for work and crops will rot in the fields

Blueberries burst forth during Maine's early summer,
but they need to be harvested quickly. (Adobe Stock photo)

As the Trump administration steps up its immigration and deportation efforts, Maine farmers who rely on immigrant labor to harvest seasonal crops such as wild blueberries are concerned about labor shortages. Some farmers worry that no matter how legal their past immigrant employees may be, fears about deportation will keep them from "showing up to rake [blueberry] fields — out in plain sight," reports Joyce Kryszak of The Maine Monitor. Without immigrant workers, Maine farmers say they can't bring in all their fields within the short window to harvest before crops begin to rot.

Harry Ricker and his wife, Nancy, own Ricker Hill Orchards in the small town of Turner, Maine. Each year the couple pays to participate in the H-2A visa program to employ "dozens of hard-working apple pickers each harvest season, mostly from Jamaica," Kryszak writes. They don't think they can hire enough non-immigrants to complete their apple harvest. Harry Ricker told Kryszak, "There are a lot less local people that want to do it, so we have to have [the H-2A] program. Without it, we’ll just be out of the industry. We go away.”

Meanwhile, state officials are working to help Maine businesses stay on top of visa program requirements and changes. "Patrick Woodcock, the executive director of the Maine Chamber of Commerce, told Kryszak, "Regardless of the merits of the polic[ies], we really do want to ensure that employers understand how to be in compliance. There may be employees that were authorized to work that may be affected by changes and may not be authorized to work now or in the coming months.”

Local apple and blueberry farmers aren't the only ones worried. "Agricultural farmers of all types . . . and fisheries. . . have come to rely on the largely Latino migrant and year-round immigrant communities," Kryszak reports. "A 2015 Maine Department of Labor . . . survey, the most recent report available from the Department, found that 56% of migrant farm workers were from Mexico, with others from Haiti, Canada, Honduras, El Salvador, and the Philippines."

Trump pitches plan to help undocumented farmworkers avoid deportation and become legalized to work in the U.S.

Roughly 500,000 undocumented workers fill labor positions
on American farms. (Photo via Progressive Farmer)

Since President Trump took office, many farmers have worried about the deportation of valuable, but undocumented, farm workers. Discussions yesterday suggest a go-around could be in the works. "Trump suggested a new program will be set up to help legalize farm workers and reduce the risk of farmers losing undocumented workers to mass deportations," reports Chris Clayton of Progressive Farmer.

Trump floated the idea during a Cabinet meeting, marking the first time he has shown "willingness to temper his mass deportation plans to help protect the labor pool for industries such as agriculture," Clayton writes. "Undocumented workers will be given a chance to self-deport and return to the country legally, Trump said. That should be an incentive for people in the country illegally to identify themselves under the Alien Registration Act with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol."

The plan would allow farm workers who register to "remain working on a farm -- at least for a temporary period," Clayton explains. "The president told Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in the Cabinet meeting that her department would work with farmers to help verify worker status on farms."

Trump explained the process at the meeting, saying, "A farmer will come in with a letter concerning certain people saying they're great, they're working hard. We're going to slow down a little bit for them, and then we're going to ultimately bring them back. They'll go out, they're going to come back as legal workers, OK?"

Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, responded to Trump's comments, saying: "We heard President Trump's comments about farm labor during his cabinet meeting. We thank the president for recognizing the importance of farmworkers and for considering the impact of the labor crisis in agriculture. We look forward to learning about the specifics of his plan. Every American is dependent on these workers to keep their families fed and pantries full."

The mass employment of migrant farmworkers by American farmers is real. Clayton adds, "A USDA Farm Labor Survey pegged the percentage of undocumented agricultural workers at around 42%, or roughly 500,000 people, working in crops. . . . To fill the void of assuring they have legal labor, farmers' H-2A programs have grown in recent years and now fill more than 384,000 job positions."

With fire and pizza dough, farmers gain a sense of community and build vital connections for mental health

A 'Pizza for Producers' event in Skagit County, Washington, helps farmers and
farmworkers make connections. (Photo by Karen Ducey, The Seattle Times)

Farmer suicide is an increasingly acknowledged fact of life in rural communities. "The reality is that there’s no perfect source of information about the high levels of stress in the farming community. Suicide rates represent the most dreaded outcome but fall well short of painting a complete picture of behavioral health among farmers and farmworkers," writes Matt Perdue of the National Farmers Union. It is equally clear that isolation, hopelessness, mental-health stigmas, untreated work injuries and access to household firearms also play a part in farmer suicides.

In an effort to address the unique farm-life stressors, an Extension office Skagit County, Washington, has begun to weave group events into its farmer outreach. Last month a group of farmers gathered to learn how to make wood-fired pizza. "On the surface, the demonstration — pushing and pulling the dough into a perfect circle, crisping the toppings in a kiln until the pizza turns golden brown — was an effort to show that making delicious food only takes a few ingredients. But the primary purpose of this 'Pizza for Producers' event lay in between the making and baking: Farmers and farmworkers, many of whom labor in solitude, came together, ate and opened up about their work and themselves," reports Michelle Baruchman of the Seattle Times.

Don McMoran runs Skagit County's Extension office. He grew up knowing that farming and suicide often live in tandem. "He grew up as the fourth-generation farmer on a 2,000-acre potato farm in Skagit," Baruchman writes. "As a child, he experienced the suicide of a man who worked on his family’s farm. Between 2016 and 2019, he experienced three more. . . . After that, he slammed his fists on his kitchen table and said, 'That’s it. I’m not going to have this in my county anymore. I need to get off the sidelines and do something.'"

Allison Brennan, a Montana State University professor studying behavioral health, told Baruchman: "The idea that farmers should be self-reliant and not need counseling also creates challenges. In small communities, everybody knows everybody. If there is a mental health clinic and I go there, someone will see my vehicle parked outside and then I’ll get labeled." Through group events, McMoran is seeking to help are farmers overcome stigmas and have honest conversation about farming life.

Adopt an attitude of gratitude, writers urge

In the thick of harvest season, which will "likely be sprinkled or slammed with stress," how can farmers "keep their chins up?" asks Sarah Schafer, writing for AgWeb. 

Dave Gordon, an author and motivational coach, told Schafer that he encourages farmers to "take a gratitude walk for five minutes each day, walk around your farm and clear your mind of everything stressing you out." Gordon shares that he started doing a daily gratitude walk 15 years ago and it made a dramatic change in his life. He recommends, "Say out loud what you are thankful for. This will set you up for a positive day. . . . Gratitude is like a muscle, the more you exercise it the stronger it becomes."

Agricultural workers often experience increased rates of mental and physical health stressors. Sean Brotherson, family science specialist for North Dakota State University, explained a way to view farming life stressors: "Signs of stress are like the warning signs on your vehicle dashboard. They indicate there’s a problem with your engine. So, you need to take steps to remedy what’s going on. . . . Health is the most important asset to any operation. If it is the most important asset, it also needs to be the most important priority."

Brotherson and Karen Funkenbusch, University of Missouri Extension specialist in farm health and safety, offered these suggestions for farmers, ranchers and their families to recognize the warning signs of stress:

• During stressful times, do a stress self-inventory.
• Slow down and prioritize sleep.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Get a physical checkup.
• Seek local resources, including clergy and medical professionals. Talk with other farm families and neighbors.
• Exercise daily. Take regular breaks throughout the day.

U.S. expected to import more farm products that it exports; would longer-tenured foreign farmworkers help close gap?

U.S. Department of Agriculture graph

For the first time, U.S. imports of agricultural products are expected to exceed the country's farm exports next year, and then continue running ever-larger trade deficits through 2031, the Department of Agriculture projected earlier this year. That projection has caused concern among farmers in Ohio who say they rely on foreigners to keep their operations running, reports Marty Schladen for the Ohio Capital Journal. Those farmers are calling for changes in agricultural-worker visas that would make it easier for foreigners to enter and stay in the country for longer amounts of time. 

"The reality today in United States modern agriculture is that food consumed by Americans is and will continue to be harvested by foreign hands," vegetable grower Bob Jones told Schladen. "Americans just simply are not interested in working in the field, in the greenhouse, or the packing house."

Jones and other farmers hope the U.S. Senate will pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021. The bill, already passed by the House, would create a "certified agricultural worker" status for qualified foreign workers and allow them to stay in the U.S. for five and a half years. "We are either going to import workers or we're going to import food," Jones said. "The choice is really that simple." 

The American consumer has largely acquired a taste for agricultural goods that often need to be imported, Chuck Abbott reported for Successful Farming in February. Those goods include fresh fruits and vegetables that might not be in season in the U.S. Tropical products like coffee and the horticultural products needed to produce wine, beer and distilled spirits are increasingly imported. Farm exports were forecast to hit a record this fiscal year, but the USDA projected a decrease in value in the middle of the coming decade, and a much greater increase in imports.

Baby formula roundup: More robust shipments from other nations will boost supplies for low-income Americans

"New infant formula shipments landing this week from abroad will provide a small reprieve to the Biden administration and low-income Americans still struggling to find formula amid ongoing shortages," Meredith Lee reports for Politico.

Rural families enrolled in the Women with Infants and Children program are having a harder time finding formula. Read more here.

The formula shortage is also creating more stress for farmworker families. Read more here.

The Biden administration wants to permanently allow carefully vetted foreign suppliers to continue selling baby formula in the U.S. to prevent future formula shortages. Read more here.

The formula shortage highlights the fact that breastfeeding isn't an option for everyone, and that many workers don't receive the workplace support they need to do so, says one op-ed. Read more here.

A few weeks ago, Senate Republicans spiked a bill that would have protected more workers' right to breastfeed. Meanwhile, another bill that would increase job protections for pregnant workers was passed in the House in May, but has not advanced out of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

Quick hits: Carhartt faces boycott over vaccine mandate; lead ammo hurts bald eagles' comeback

Here's a roundup of stories with rural resonance; if you do or see similar work that should be shared on The Rural Blog, email heather.chapman@uky.edu.

Popular rural brand Carhartt is facing a boycott after the CEO mandated that staff be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Read more here.

The pandemic has been especially devastating to migrant farmworkers. A new state program in North Carolina is trying to improve their broadband access so they can better access vaccines and other community support measures. Read more here.

Rural Californians confront growing risks from extreme weather. Read more here.

A new Slate podcast discusses how JD Vance's political aspirations typify a new strain of conservatism. Listen to it here.

Lead ammo hampers the bald eagle's rebound in the Northeast U.S. Read more here.

Farm Bureau will honor 18 local affiliates at convention

The American Farm Bureau Federation, the nation's largest agriculture group, will honor 18 county Farm Bureaus at its annual convention, held this year Jan. 7-12 in Atlanta. "The selected winners participated in the County Activities of Excellence program and demonstrated a commitment to offering quality programming to their counties," says a Farm Bureau press release.

Here are just a few of the winners:

• Santa Cruz County, California for partnering with a local hospital, the county health department and other local organizations to become the nation's first county to provide mass coronavirus vaccinations for its farm workers.
• Hillsborough County, Florida for distributing "Ag-Venture" boxes to elementary schools with education materials, videos and instructions for hands-on agriculture learning activities.
• Daviess County, Kentucky for "You're Not Alone," a campaign that sought to educate farmers on the importance of mental health.
• Broome County, New York for partnering with local emergency services to offer free trainings on how to respond to farming accidents.

"These county Farm Bureaus are leading through innovation to support and engage with their local communities despite the challenges brought on by the continuing Covid-19 pandemic," said AFBF President Zippy Duvall.

Farm roundup: Bankruptcy map; anti-consolidation campaign; trafficking in farmworkers; suit targeting paraquat

Total Chapter 12 bankruptcy filings by county, 2013-2020
(Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting map; click on the image to enlarge it)

Here's a six-pack of farm news:

The nation's second-largest farm group, the National Farmers Union, is launching a campaign to expose how consolidation in agriculture hurts family farms and rural towns. "The campaign, which it said will include a public relations blitz and lobbying, is part of an effort to push Washington to crack down on monopolistic behavior in the industry as lawmakers propose legislation to bring more price and market transparency to highly consolidated farm markets," Reuters reports. Read more here.

Farm bankruptcies have been on the rise over the past decade, Sky Chadde reports for The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting. Many factors contribute: climate change, increasing production costs, decreasing income, the trade war, high debt levels and suicide. Chapter 12 of the bankruptcy law is used to reorganize debts and save family farms through debt reorganization, but research shows it may be harder to reorganize debts under Chapter 12 than under other bankruptcy types. Read more here.

Farmworker and environmental groups have sued the Environmental Protection Agency for reapproving the weed killer paraquat, which they say puts farmworkers at an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Read more here.

Farmworkers are trafficked by employers using the H-2A program, which "provides scaffolding for the agricultural system, allowing farms to bring in enough labor to pick fruits and vegetables Americans rely on," according to experts and activists, Amanda Perez Pintado reports for the Midwest Center. They "fear the Covid-19 pandemic has allowed the situation to grow."  Read more here.

A newly published study showed farmworkers in California's Salinas Valley had coronavirus infection rates four times higher than the rest of the local population. Read more here.

The Agriculture Department is launching an Equity Commission to address racial discrimination within the USDA and its programs. Read more here.

Pandemic roundup: Agriculture workers are the most vaccine-resistant; lack of paid time off hurts vax rates

Agriculture workers are the most resistant. (Morning Consult chart; click to enlarge)

Here's a roundup of recent news about the pandemic and immunization efforts:

Sources say U.S. health officials will soon authorize a coronavirus booster shot, and will recommend that fully vaccinated Americans get that extra dose eight months after receiving their second shot. Read more here.

A surge in Covid patients has pushed Mississippi's hospital system to the brink. Read more here.

Viral videos of speakers at school board and city council meetings are proving a fertile source of misinformation about the coronavirus and vaccines on social media. The popularity of such videos is leading schools, local governments and tech platforms to weigh the value of freedom of expression against the harm of creating more misinformation online. Read more here.

Many low-wage American workers lack paid time off from their jobs. That makes them less likely to get vaccinated and has contributed to the spread of the virus, surveys and policy experts say. Read more here.

Rates of vaccine hesitancy and opposition have decreased among Black and Hispanic adults but remain unchanged among Republicans, recent surveys say. Another finding: Agriculture workers are the least willing of any U.S. occupation to get vaccinated (see image at right). Read more here.

Here are some easy hacks to make your mask more effective and tips on how to spot counterfeit N95 masks. Read more here.

Here are some tips on how to talk to vaccine-hesitant family and friends about getting their shots. Read more here.

A scientist who claims (sometimes) to be responsible for the invention of mRNA vaccines has amassed an online following questioning the safety of such vaccines. A deep dive from The Atlantic explains what's going on. Read more here.

After just a week in session, a rural county in southeastern Georgia has closed all 11 schools until Sept. 7 because of skyrocketing local coronavirus infections. The vaccination rate in Ware County is about 29%, far below the national average, and about 14% of 15-19-year-olds in the county are fully vaccinated. Read more here.

Republican lawmakers often blame undocumented immigrants for surging coronavirus infections. Blaming diseases on foreigners is an old tactic, and one not supported by evidence, writes a history professor. Read more here.

The pandemic is harming many children's mental health, but therapy is often hard to access. Read more here.

Heat roundup: Dixie Fire survivors share stories of loss and uncertainty; farmworkers at higher risk of heat-wave deaths

The Dixie Fire is about five times the size of Disneyland
and is only 30% contained. (Google Maps screenshot)

More than half of the 48 contiguous states are under heat advisories as heat waves blanket much of the nation. The combination of high temperatures and low humidity is expected to increase wildfire risk in the Pacific Northwest for the next several days. The Washington Post notes: "Climate change is intensifying the frequency and intensity of extreme heat as increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases from fossil fuel burning warm the atmosphere." Read more here.

Drought is shrinking rivers and lakes, which could slow barge traffic and make it harder for farmers to ship crops. Read more here.

Farmworkers are some of the most vulnerable to heatwave deaths; employers and governments must do more to protect them, writes a columnist. Read more here.

The Dixie Fire is now the largest single fire in California history, though it is still only half the size of the August Complex, a 2020 conflagration that spanned seven counties. Dixie is only 30 percent contained and covers 790 square miles, according to Cal Fire. Meanwhile, the uncontrolled Richard Spring Fire in Montana has grown to more than 230 square miles. Read more here.

Rural Dixie Fire survivors share stories of loss and uncertainty. Read more here.

Quick hits: rural migrant health; covering critical race theory; Biden rejects free-trade doctrine of Dem. predecessors . . .

A former pet goldfish pulled from a lake near Minneapolis.
(City of Burnsville photo)

Here's a roundup of stories with rural resonance; if you do or see similar work that should be shared on The Rural Blog, email heather.chapman@uky.edu.

Experts offer journalists four tips on covering critical race theory. Read more here.

The Rural Health Information Hub has a new backgrounder guide to rural migrant health. Read more here.

More than 7,500 have applied for a program that promises incentives for remote workers who move to West Virginia. Read more here.

Wildlife officials are asking people to stop dumping their pet fish in lakes; the former pets grow so large that they could disrupt lake habitats. Read more here.

Though President Biden has not fully shifted away from President Trump's protectionist policies, Biden is the first modern Democratic president to reject "the dogma of free trade," George E. Condon Jr. writes for the National Journal. Read more here.

In a first for a federal criminal trial, prosecutors used tree DNA to prove that defendants had stolen valuable bigleaf maple trees from Olympic National Forest in Washington and sold them to local lumber mills. Read more here.

The industrial hemp boom has largely gone bust; experts speculate on what could happen next for growers, processors, and the hemp market in general. Read more here.

A Black family farm is fighting climate change and racism in agriculture. Read more here.

Quick hits: Rural libraries could become telehealth hubs; book details Black Appalachians' coal camp experiences

Here's a roundup of stories with rural resonance; if you do or see similar work that should be shared on The Rural Blog, email heather.chapman@uky.edu.

A new book details the overlooked experience of Black Appalachians in coal camps. Read more here.

Commentary: Rural libraries could use newly available funding opportunities and technologies to become a major player in providing telehealth access. Read more here.

Many rural high-school students want to take Advanced Placement courses, which can award college credit, but school staffing, budgets, and broadband access can make that difficult. Read more here.

More states are considering and passing bills to grant overtime pay to farmworkers. Read more here.

Pandemic roundup: Delta variant likely to dominate soon; public-private partnership gets ruralites vaxed in Ohio

Here's a roundup of recent news about the pandemic and immunization efforts:

The delta variant will likely become the dominant coronavirus strain in the U.S. in the coming weeks, according to a new analysis. Read more here.

In Athens County, Ohio, pop. 65,000, the health department has gotten nearly 25,000 locals vaccinated through a partnership with Ohio University and the Athens City School District. Read more here.

In California's Salinas Valley, once a Covid hotspot, more than two-thirds of farmworkers are vaccinated against the coronavirus thanks to efforts public-private partnerships. Read more here.

State and local governments in the South are trying to get more people vaccinated; that takes overcoming economic barriers to access, like a lack of transportation, and fighting misinformation that makes many wary of vaccines. Read more here.

For some people, grief for a loved one who died from Covid-19 is complicated by misinformation and attitudes about the virus among family and friends. Read more here.

In a recent American Medical Association webinar, the chief medical officer of the Marshfield Clinic Health System in Wisconsin discusses challenges to vaccinating rural communities. Read more here.

Vilsack meets with farm lobbyists, bipartisan senators, to make a game plan for passing farm-labor immigration bill

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is spearheading efforts to pass a bill to allow undocumented farmworkers to stay in the U.S. and bring in more immigrant workers. Vilsack told reporters Wednesday, saying he had made a commitment "on the part of the president to get this done."

He spoke after meeting with Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and farm lobbyists to discuss the issue. "The House passed a bill, but the Senate so far has been resistant to considering the House bill and no Senate bill has been released," Jerry Hagstrom reports for DTN/The Progressive Farmer. "Vilsack said both farmers and agribusiness executives, already in "a very stressful time" for many reasons, are increasingly concerned about their 'current and future workforce.'"

Crapo and Bennet both committed to round up votes, Bennet and Vilsack told reporters after the meeting. Crapo, who didn't speak to reporters, was more measured in a release: "There is no question we must deal with the insufficiencies of the existing agriculture guest worker program in order to ensure a stable and high-quality food supply across our country. The bipartisan roundtable with Secretary Vilsack, Sen. Bennet and stakeholder groups was a meaningful, collaborative discussion. It was an opportunity to engage in robust dialogue on the best path forward for legislation in the Senate."

Farm lobbyists are somewhat divided on the prospect of a bill, Hagstrom reports. David Puglia, president and CEO of farmers' lobby Western Growers, said he's more optimistic about passing a bill this year than in the previous 16 he's been in the produce industry. It's important to pass this year, he said, because it would be a harder sell during an election year. The United Fresh Produce Association and United Farm Workers, among others, said they support a possible bill. 

The American Farm Bureau Federation was cagier in its response. "Allison Crittenden, director of congressional relations for the Farm Bureau, who attended the meeting, said Farm Bureau nationally wants more year-long visas and is concerned about wage rates and farmers' legal exposure," Hagstrom reports. "But the California Farm Bureau supported the House bill, and Crittenden noted the American Farm Bureau said it did not support the bill but did not use the word 'oppose'."

Roundup: Farmers, ranchers struggle amid heat, drought

Heat and drought are having a serious impact on much of the U.S. Here's a news roundup:

A brutal heat wave is descending on the American West, prompting wildfire warnings. Read more here and here.

Two new reports draw attention to scanty laws protecting farmworkers from extreme heat. Read more here.

Northern Plains states, especially the eastern half of the Dakotas, are seeing a deepening drought. That's hurting ranchers whose cattle are now having a hard time finding forage. It's also hurting the hay crop, which in turn makes it harder to feed cattle. That's resulted in an increase in cows and calves sold at auction. Read more here.

It's not all bad news for livestock producers, though: they've been left out of previous pandemic aid, but they'll get a share of newly announced Agriculture Department aid, possibly starting within the next 60 days. Biofuels producers, the timber industry, dairy farmers, contract poultry producers, organic farmers, and other areas underserved by previous pandemic aid will also get some of the aid. Read more here.

Corn and soybean conditions are worsening with the hot, dry weather. Read more here.

Pandemic roundup: Federal program gets vaccines to more rural residents; Facebook adds fact-checks to vax posts

Here's a roundup of recent news stories about the pandemic and vaccination efforts.

Coronavirus cases are surging in 21 states as health officials warn against reopening too quickly. Read more here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reduced its social-distancing recommendation for children in schools from six feet to three feet. Read more here.

Facebook is adding informational labels to posts about coronavirus vaccines as it expands its efforts to counteract pandemic misinformation. The platform is also adding a tool to give users information on where and when they can get vaccinated. Read more here.

The two-shot AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine reduced symptomatic disease by 79 percent, according to the drug maker's study. That will help the vaccine be authorized in the U.S. Read more here.

Experts warn: even those who have already been vaccinated must observe social-distancing measures and other precautions to help stamp out the spread of the virus. Read more here.

Vaccine eligibility in the U.S. is a confusing mish-mash of state rules. Read more here. 

Commentary: Primary-care physicians should be at the heart of rural vaccination. Read more here.

A federal program gets vaccines to qualified facilities, rural residents, and migrant workers. Read more here.

Rural Wisconsin residents now have more options for getting vaccinated since the state has expanded a federal pharmacy program. Read more here.

House passes bill to create pathway to citizenship for farmworkers in U.S. illegally and their family members

The U.S. House passed a bill Thursday that "sets out a path to citizenship for farmworkers in the country illegally and their family members, reports Siobahn Hughes of The Wall Street Journal. It passed 247 to 174, "with 30 Republicans in favor and a single Democrat against."

Nevertheless, the bill's fate in the Senate is uncertain, partly because it passed along with a bill to "create a path to citizenship for young immigrants known as Dreamers who came to the U.S. before the age of 19 and have lived in the country illegally, as well as hundreds of thousands of immigrants living in the U.S. under a humanitarian program that provides temporary protection to people suffering from extraordinary conditions like war or natural disasters," Hughes reports.

That bill's passage was narrower, by 288-197, and some Republicans lumped it with the farmworker bill, saying they would send the wrong message at a time when the U.S. is dealing with a surge in migrants at the Mexican border. “These bills are . . . advertising that people who come here legally are suckers, and we’re going to give preference to people who didn’t come here legally,” said Rep. Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin.

Hughes quotes Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., a former state agriculture official who supports the bill: “The timing is unfortunate. It’s distracting people from what the issues are.” And she notes, "Agriculture Department data show that nearly 50 percent of hired crop farmworkers in the U.S. lack legal status." Cornell University offers experts to discuss both bills. One is Richard Stup, a farm-workforce specialist who serves as liaison between the industry and employment regulators and says the bill would be a major step toward stabilizing the nation's agricultural workforce.

Farmers invited to take survey on employee pay; participants will get access to results, invitation to webinar

Cornell University is looking for farmers to take a short survey about farm employee pay. Though pay isn't the most important factor in retaining and motivating employees, it does matter, but it can be difficult for farmers to find recent, accurate information about how other farmers pay employees. Cornell researchers are gathering the information to help farmers evaluate and offer competitive pay, and also to provide insight about farming to other stakeholders such as researchers or lawmakers.

The survey takes about 10 minutes to fill out. Participants are not paid, but will receive a summary of the results and will be invited to a webinar discussing them. Only aggregate data with no identifying details will be published or shared. Click here for more information about how to participate and a link to the survey.

Quick hits: Drought forecast for Western U.S.; which seven senators voted against Tom Vilsack?

Here's a roundup of stories with rural resonance; if you do or see similar work that should be shared on The Rural Blog, email heather.chapman@uky.edu.

A rural liberal in New Hampshire set out to talk to his many pro-Trump neighbors. Read more here.

The Senate confirmed Tom Vilsack for his second stint as agriculture secretary, 92-7. Independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont voted no, with Republicans Ted Cruz of Texas, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida, and Dan Sullivan of Alaska. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is asking farmers and ranchers to respond to the 2020 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey to get a more accurate picture of local and regional food systems. USDA will continue to accept responses through April. Read more here.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association called on the federal government to establish more rural-friendly rules for broadband grants. Read more here.

James Fallows, who crisscrossed the U.S. writing about rural America and its newspapers for The Atlantic, writes now about how we can apply the lessons from FDR's New Deal to rebuild the economy from the pandemic. Read more here.

President Biden reverses his predecessor's freeze on certain green cards and temporary work visas for farmworkers and other skilled workers. Read more here.

At the Agricultural Outlook Forum this week, USDA leadership committed to helping control the pandemic as well as tackling deep-seated farming issues. Read more here.

Scientists are forecasting a drought for much of the Western U.S. this spring. Read more here.

Twenty percent of Wisconsin wolves are to be killed after a court sided with hunters. Read more here.

Extreme winter weather has caused shipping nightmares for grain barges. Read more here.

The internet has played a critical role in farmer networking during the pandemic. Read more here.

An explainer shows the ins and outs of how the Federal Communications Commission's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund broadband auction works. Read more here.

Frozen pipes in Texas are the latest warning of what will happen to water systems across the U.S. if policies and aging infrastructure are not updated to account for the increase in extreme weather climate change brings. Read more here.