Thread: American farmers move to Mexico

http://www.theworld.org/2010/12/23/an-a ... in-mexico/

By Jason Margolis

American farmers have long depended on immigrant labor. But some farmers say a steady supply of legal immigrants has become too unreliable. So they’re moving to where many of the workers come from: Mexico.

Steve Scaroni has been growing lettuce in Arizona and California for 30 years. Four years ago, he started to expand to the central Mexican state of Guanajuato. Today, half of his operation is south of the border.

Listen to the audio at the link. It'll make your blood boil.

good leave I will not buy any thing that had to do with the Illegal Immigrant a the & don't tell me the American will not pick I sure in hell would it the pay was right . we american all work hard as hell so don't come & tell me that . when I buy any thing I see what Part of the country . first if it china no good as donald T said don't Buy any thing from china . I will tell you one thing In PA the Farmers are every good so I ride PA for everything No one will buy any thing if the illegal immigrant are the picker . good so move .

In around 2008 a lot of farmers moved to Mexico, but not too long ago I read an article that many of them were coming back because of the violence and Drug Cartel's. They complained that they had to pay for protection to even get their produce to market.

That's fine by me.

70% of our food are from these huge corporations. Theres very few little Red Farm houses anymore. The U.S. has very little farmers. We have produce farmers(we get million is welfare) but even then under NAFTA and CAFTA we import produce.
Unless I go to an organic market, I only see GROWN IN MEXICO or GROWN IN Gautamela on produce (which I refuse to buy)
So, if there are 3 farmers that want to go and move then let them.
Anytime you see a farm, they are either growing organics (but that is mostly from Canada) or growing for herbal distributors.

Good for him. Its better that he help build up the Mexican economy to the level of the USA rather than drag the USA economy down to the level of Mexico.

Originally Posted by MontereySherry

In around 2008 a lot of farmers moved to Mexico, but not too long ago I read an article that many of them were coming back because of the violence and Drug Cartel's. They complained that they had to pay for protection to even get their produce to market.

Serves them right if they want to go to Mexico because they refuse to hire LEGAL workers and pay minimum wage. What goes around comes around, if I see any veggies that say Mexico I will not buy them regardless of the price. I can go to the farmers market and get veggies for a lower price than the Mexican veggies in the grocery store anyway.

Are they taking their illegal workers with them?

Our US agricultural industry has taken a number of hits. This won't be the first US industry to find cheaper overhead by outsourcing employment.

It took a big hit when the United Farmworkers challenged the modernization of produce and vegetable harvesting making use of public money for research at public universities. We should be lucky that corn and wheat harvesting along with root crops has been able to go ahead and reduce the human labor input. Other crops are struggling to stay ahead of the cheap competition from foreign labor and international agribusiness located overseas.

US consumers rely ever more upon imported produce. Until there is widespread harvesting mechanization---no matter what the farmworker advocacy groups proclaim--- the importation from cheaper regions will continue to increase.

Originally Posted by Creoleguy32

70% of our food are from these huge corporations. Theres very few little Red Farm houses anymore. The U.S. has very little farmers. We have produce farmers(we get million is welfare) but even then under NAFTA and CAFTA we import produce.
Unless I go to an organic market, I only see GROWN IN MEXICO or GROWN IN Gautamela on produce (which I refuse to buy)
So, if there are 3 farmers that want to go and move then let them.
Anytime you see a farm, they are either growing organics (but that is mostly from Canada) or growing for herbal distributors.

It will interesting to see how many of these organic farms and farmers markets( that I, too, frequent) survive in view of government scrutiny and control after the passing of S.510.