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Farmer says H-2A program has uncertain future for her operation

A farmer in eastern Kansas says rising labor costs tied to a federal visa program may not be financially sustainable for her operation.

Lavell Winsor says wages for H-2A guest workers continue to climb at an unmanageable rate. “I know that in a year or two, we’re going to have to reevaluate whether or not we can continue with the program because that wage, it increases and it increases significantly each year. I’m not sure that our farm with the profitability that’s out there can keep up with those wages that are required.”

She tells Brownfield other costs add up quickly. “Along with all the other expenses of providing housing, providing a vehicle, providing their transportation here, plus all of the government fees that you have to pay as well. It’s not a cheaper program.”

However, Lavell says, the program has been the only dependable source of labor in the area because larger cities like Topeka and Lawrence have attracted local employees.  “What we had experienced over the probably 3 or 4 years prior to utilizing the H-2A, a program on our farm was that we just had difficulty finding laborers and finding laborers that were experiencing enough, and then also that would show up.”

She says that in her experience guest workers have been more reliable than domestic employees.