Thread: Mechanization is the answer for "need cheap labor"

Originally Posted by Captainron

Well paying jobs for American? How do you propose this in connection with farming?

A college student seeking a degree in agricultural engineering could also work on farms to earn money for school and to gain some fisrthand knowledge. Sure would beat working at McDonalds! True, he might not be in the back breaking work of harvesting crops, but could familiarize himself with the working and needs of whatever enterprises he works for.

http://arc.wsu.edu/

The only problem I see with this is where the student lives and where his college is located and where the farms are located. The only farming areas I am familiar with, there are no colleges near by.
I don't think there are many jobs available for him to familiarize himself with the working and the needs of farming. Most of the jobs are back breaking harvesting of crops.
My daughter has a degreee in Ag. and she lives in Santa Monica, CA working in the insurance business because she do not want to live in farming areas.

Many state universities will have their agricultural programs in, or close to, the farming areas. Many don't. There's always summer work, which I know is usually harvesting.

My husband has a client who is a vineyard owner/manager. His mechanized grape picking machine is from Italy. He made changes to the machine after he purchased it and work more efficiently. He has a skeleton crew know for the vine dressing. The Italian company came over and saw his modifications and have made them standard on their machines now. Needless to say he know gets his machines at cost.

Is mechanization the answer? It depends. In some cases it may be. An example would be the tomato farmers of California who complained that the Bracero Program was essential for their industry. The program was ended anyway, so the tomato farmers invested in mechanization. The results were a quadrupling in production over the following 30 year period, and a reduction in the price of tomatos.

However, if the growers find that they can pay a living wage to Americans when illegals are finally dealt with, they may choose that route. Which of course would rise wages in the industry and help working class Americans -- and the increase in prices would be minimal.

But mechanization could possibly create new and better jobs in the industry -- manufacturing, maintainence, repair, distribution, sales, etc. Often new and better jobs are created with automation, or going from one form of production to another -- an argument that OBLs falsely apply to illegal immigration.

So is it the answer?? Again, depends. If they can get by with Americans, they will. If it is absolutely neccessary to replace illegals with mechanization, they will find a way. Both scenarios are good for America.

Neccessity is the mother of invention.

It is probably a good idea after all. It opens up a host of new kind of work.

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Major: Agricultural Mechanization

Basics

The history of Agricultural Mechanization is filled with exciting technological advances and complicated social issues. Agriculture, once a harrowing and back-breaking endeavor, has been vastly improved in the past few centuries thanks to inventions such as the tractor, the thresher, and the baler. These inventions—and the sweeping changes in the agricultural field that accompanied them—are generally referred to as Agricultural Mechanization.

As a major, Agricultural Mechanization aims to expose you to the technological and mechanical aspects of farming equipment. You’ll study areas such as electric power and processing; construction and maintenance; and water management. You’ll learn the ins and outs of engines, combines, tractors, balers, and other devices. You’ll study building construction, and learn mechanical skills such as welding and drafting. Ultimately, you’ll gain the knowledge you need to design, build, repair, sell, manage, and operate farm equipment.

There are many career options open to you as an Agricultural Mechanization major. Many students choose to begin their own business; others embark on careers in service management, product service or testing, or agricultural management. Whatever the case, know that you’re furthering a field that has allowed agriculture to come amazingly far.


http://www.princetonreview.com/college/ ... majorID=14

The objective of mechanization would be to reduce overall labor for the volume of production obtained---not spread it into other tasks. Therefore farm machinery should be simple and reliable. I'm sure a mechanic is going to make better wages than a picker (or ar least that's what they claim) so we want something that is, overall, going to be much more cost-effective to justify the initial risk of investment.

Of course for governments to not have to highly subsidize the maintenance of the harvesting implement--as we do with pickers--would be a big help to taxpayers. Maybe we culd even afford a little upfront grant to the farmers to purchase the machines.

Tractor mounted adaptations seem to be cost effective. I would like to go to the WorldAgExpo in Tulare, CA and brainstorm a little. It is supposed to be one of the best events of its kind in the world.