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Rural Migration BlogThe US food systemMarch 17, 2020 The US food system provides food and fiber to 330 million Americans and millions more abroad. The food system encompasses the farm input sector such as farm equipment makers and seed companies, farming, and the processing, transportation, and service involved in getting farm commodities to consumers. Continue reading "The US food system"... Imports are over half of US fresh fruit and a third of US fresh vegetablesMarch 17, 2020 Over half of the fresh fruit available to US consumers, 57 percent in 2018, was imported, as were 32 percent of the fresh vegetables. Three-fourths of the 115 pounds of fresh fruit available per person involve seven items: 28 pounds of bananas, 17 pounds of fresh apples, and eight pounds each of fresh avocados, grapes, oranges, pineapples, and strawberries. Continue reading "Imports are over half of US fresh fruit and a third of US fresh vegetables "... Farm hourly earnings are rising faster than nonfarm earningsMarch 17, 2020 The average hourly earnings of hired US farm workers are rising faster than the average earnings of US nonfarm production workers. The earnings of all US hired farm workers averaged $15 an hour in 2019, according to USDA’s Agricultural Labor Survey, while nonfarm US workers in the BLS Current Employment Statistics program earned an average of $24 an hour. Continue reading "Farm hourly earnings are rising faster than nonfarm earnings"... A tale of two states: farm labor in CA and FLMarch 17, 2020 California is the largest farm state, with farm sales of $50 billion in 2017, and the state with the highest farm labor expenses. The state’s farmers had $11 billion in COA total farm labor expenses in 2017, or 28 percent of the $39 billion US total labor expenses. Florida is the fourth largest farm labor state, with farm sales of $7.5 billion and farm labor expenses of $1.8 billion in 2017 (WA had labor expenses of $2.4 billion and TX $2 billion). Continue reading "A tale of two states: farm labor in CA and FL"... Overtime and California Farm WorkersMarch 17, 2020 AB 1066, the Phase-In Overtime for Agricultural Workers Act enacted in 2016, requires large farm employers to pay overtime wages to workers after eight hours a day or 40 hours a week by 2022. Since 1976, farm employers have been required to pay overtime after 10 hours a day or 60 hours a week. Continue reading "Overtime and California Farm Workers"... Unions: 10 percent of US workers are union membersFebruary 24, 2020 Some 10.3 percent of US employees, 14.6 million of 142 million, were members of unions in 2019, down from almost 18 million union members in 1983. Some 16.4 million workers were represented by unions in 2019, meaning that almost two million workers covered by collective bargaining agreements did not join the union that negotiated the agreement under which they work. Continue reading "Unions: 10 percent of US workers are union members"... World’s Population Increases, Urbanizes, Ages, and MigratesFebruary 24, 2020 The world’s population of 7.8 million is rising in some countries and falling in others, more people are moving to cities, the share of the population 65 and older is increasing, and there are more international migrants. Continue reading "World’s Population Increases, Urbanizes, Ages, and Migrates"... California’s Crop LandFebruary 24, 2020 Only eight percent of California’s almost 100 million acres of land are used to produce most of the state’s crop output. A quarter of California’s acres are used for farming, but half of these 24 million farm acres are pasture and rangeland, and another 2.2 million acres are woodland, farmsteads, ponds, and roads. Continue reading "California’s Crop Land"... California wine: the 2020 outlookFebruary 24, 2020 Too much wine is chasing too few US consumers, resulting in some California wine grapes left on the vine in 2019. A record California wine grape harvest of 4.5 million tons in 2018 was followed by a 4.1 million ton harvest in 2019, reducing prices paid to growers. Continue reading "California wine: the 2020 outlook"... Mexico: Protected Agriculture and Farm LaborFebruary 24, 2020 Mexico is a world leader in protected agriculture, structures that fully or partially protect plants from excessive rain and sun during their growth. There are three major types of protective structures for crops: high-tech greenhouses, low-tech structures that use metal hoops covered with plastic to enclose and protect plants, and open-sided shade houses that protect plants from rain and sun. Medium-tech protective structures are a mix of hoop and shade structures. Continue reading "Mexico: Protected Agriculture and Farm Labor"...
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