Editorial: It’s acres away for farmers

Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006 | 7:39 a.m.

With all of the volunteer Minutemen, extra Border Patrol agents and National Guard troops now patrolling the Mexican border, this story from the Associated Press was inevitable: "Shortage of farmworkers hitting organic growers hard."

An organic farmer in California's lush Pajaro Valley told an AP reporter this week that he had to tear out 30 acres of vegetables because he could not find anyone to pick them, and that he has another 100 acres whose yields will be low because there are not enough workers to handpick the weeds.

Conventional farmers, whose lands are less labor-intensive because they can use chemicals to kill weeds and machines to harvest the crops, said they, too, are hurting for help. "It's a challenging industry even without a labor shortage," one farmer said.

The farmers, who admitted they are dependent on undocumented workers, are anxiously awaiting federal legislation that would allow guest workers to enter the country legally, AP reported.

Unfortunately, Republican leaders in Congress dithered around all year on this issue, and now farmers and other employers whose businesses depend on a ready labor force are becoming desperate.

Before this problem grows worse, to the point where food begins getting very expensive or, even worse, scarce, Congress needs to pass a bill that recognizes the role of laborers from across the border. The bill should have a guest-worker program, as well as a provision that would allow honest workers to someday become U.S. citizens.

Political rhetoric about "fighting" against so-called illegal aliens scores points with some people. But we imagine they enjoy fresh vegetables and fruits, which do not magically get to market on their own.