Somis farmers experience labor shortage due to tough immigration laws

With tougher immigration laws, local growers are experiencing a labor shortage. Underwood Family Farms in Somis, an unincorporated area of Ventura County, is one of them.

Owner, Craig Underwood says hiring has taken a hit since they rely on immigrant labor to pick crops like berries.

“I don’t know what people are thinking about, how we are going to get our work done on the farm,” said Underwood.

The Ventura County Farm Bureau says more than half of those available to work on farms are undocumented, but with a zero-tolerance policy on illegal border crossings, Underwood is struggling to find the workers he needs.

“With more enforcement there is within the community, the harder it is to find people and the agricultural community,” said Underwood. “For years the agricultural industry has been working to get a rational immigration law for temporary workers.”

Krist says there are 25 percent fewer workers than what’s needed. Therefore, he says many farmers are struggling for a successful season.

“We’ve actually had growers here at the end of the season and there were crops they couldn’t harvest and that’s just lost money to the growers and margins are thin enough that it can make a difference between a successful year and a failure,” said Krist.

He says tougher immigration is a big factor in the labor shortage and has been for years.

“We’re all fearful of about what the future holds,” said Underwood.