Heber Valley dairy farmer says worker shortage is getting worse
Farmers face high costs, drought and immigration enforcement fears while competing with better-paying industries for labor.
Based on reporting by KUER 90.1 (NPR Utah). Read the original story →
Continuing story: The Colorado River and Utah's water
Utah farmers are struggling to find and keep workers as rising costs, drought and fear of immigration enforcement squeeze their operations, KUER reported, focusing on Heber Valley dairy owner Russ Kohler. [1]
Kohler, a fourth-generation farmer who owns Heber Valley Artisan Cheese, told KUER that finding skilled help has grown harder over the past decade and that he relies on migrant labor. Thin margins mean farms cannot match wages in industries such as construction, he said, and the possibility of losing a large share of workers overnight to enforcement actions is a constant worry. [1]
The H-2A seasonal visa program has limits for dairies, Kohler said, because workers barely finish training before they must leave. Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy is co-sponsoring a House bill that would remove the visa's seasonal limits, according to KUER. [1]
Kohler has three full-time employees and said he would need two more if he had not mechanized parts of his milking operation. [1]
Sources
- KUER 90.1 (NPR Utah): Rural Utah still feels the labor squeeze of rising costs and immigration fears
This story was written by AI from the report by KUER 90.1 (NPR Utah), which has the full story. How we write stories.