Orchardists need to make it known that without immigration reform, they are not going to have the labor force to harvest their crops, says Jon Wyss, government affairs director at Gebbers Farms in Brewster, Washington. Speaking at the Washington State Horticultural Association’s annual meeting, Wyss said 47 percent of any vote in Congress on the immigration issue comes from representatives of states east of the Mississippi, and only two—New York and Florida—employ seasonal agricultural workers. The tree fruit industry also has to fight public perception that growers are just looking for a cheap labor force, he said, noting that the […]