By: NATHAN STUEDLE
A new report released this week reveals that severe agricultural labor shortages are accelerating the financial strain facing America’s family farms and contributing to rising prices for traditional Thanksgiving foods. According to the findings, farms across the country are struggling to secure the skilled, reliable workforce needed to harvest crops, care for livestock, and maintain year-round operations.
As labor shortages worsen, growers are facing higher production costs, reduced yields, and in some cases, the difficult decision to scale back or abandon crops altogether. The result of these significant disruptions: domestic food production instability and higher prices for U.S. consumers. The report calls for urgent policy action to modernize the agricultural workforce system and protect the long-term viability of U.S. food producers. Without meaningful reform, consumers will face continued price increases and local farming communities will bear deepening economic consequences.