Thread: NC Christmas Tree Farmer to Testify Before Congress

http://www.foxx.house.gov/index.cfm?Con ... ItemID=934


NC Christmas Tree Farmer to Testify Before Congress
Wednesday October 03, 2007
Contact: Aaron Groen
(202) 225-2071


Harry Yates of Watauga County to testify on labor issues before Agriculture Committee

Washington, D.C.—A North Carolina Christmas tree farmer will testify before the House Agriculture Committee about the labor needs of American agriculture this week. Harry Yates, who has been growing Christmas trees in Watauga County for more than 30 years, will testify about the importance of streamlining burdensome migrant labor regulations.

“Today’s farmers looking for laborers are forced to jump through too many regulatory hoops,â€

I bet Harry has never run an advertisement in the newspaper for employees and I bet he doesn't pay a descent wage either.

How about turning into a cut your own tree farm? How traditional and it's very popular down here in TX. Hmmm, don't need to hire illegals for that and you can cut the price of your trees.

Oh, I forgot, it's really about profit margins isn't it Harry. That just wont do.

Dixie

"How about turning into a cut your own tree farm?"

Good idea Dixie. They are popular here in Pa. also.

buy a fake tree...that would solve all the problems I have one... made in America and it is fifteen years old...and it originally cost me 15.00 with tax... We still have a nice Christmas...with our Charlie Brown tree

Life's a b*tch ain't it??????

Obviously he has been using illegal workers before this. Why not hire school kids or retired people. Around where I live retired people are always looking for seasonal work to get them by. It would be a supplement to their social security. Kids also have a hard time finding a part time job.

The only full time job I see in having a Christmas Tree Farm is probably irrigation etc.

We have cut your own tree farms and they seem to be quite busy during the season.

Did we ever say that we don't support legal immigrants with visa's who give us fingerprints, DNA and current address? If they decide to up and leave we then have something on them to track. Right now we have nothing. As far as the government is concerned they have lost about 20 million of them somewhere in the United States.
If the farmer needs workers then fine. Just bring them in the correct fashion and they pay taxes like we do. We don't need 40 million however working in the fields.

[quote] “Farmers need a reliable, legal workforce, but federal regulations make getting the workers we need an almost full-time job.â€

UP here, we grow over half of the stateside "exported" Christmas tree's. My father-in-law lives in the Chicago metro area and said a fresh tree cost's upward to $150.00. Here I can get the same tree for $20.00 (or you can pay the Forest Service $5.00 for a cutting permit and cut one from the Mt. Hood National Forest).

Now my point is....it is ALL about profit. I know some (if not all) of the really big tree farms here have illegal labor and they likely pay minimum wage. Imagine the profit on this crop. This has to be the single most profitable crop possible. Low maintenance (you get said minimum wage earner to go out and trim), at least here you do not have to worry about irrigation (we have our own system...10 months of rain) and all they have to do is to cut and wrap, send them out for over 100 bucks.

Another point, drive out here like we have and see some of the "McMansions" these tree farmers live in, then you will see how well they do from the profits, and the savings of their cheap labor.

Booo-hooo, the poor overworked and underpaid tree farmer has to sit in his McMansion office and do paperwork if he wants legal workers, instead of hiring Americans for a bit more than minimum wage (my brother's did tree trimming before, as young men/teens, they are in their 40's now, and were making close to $10.00 then!!!).

Don't feel sorry for him at all, coming from the Pacific NW, I know this business is highly profitable (why do you think most farmers here have turned to tree farming and nursery farming instead of the older berry crops we were once known for???), and these farmers make good money. They want their cheap, foriegn labor, and also not have to work at having them either.

Small business has gotten lazy and greedy just like the corporations .

A hard rains going to fall onto this nation soon . We left the morals ,principles and faith that made us great . Maybe it's the way it is suppose to be in the end times ?