North Coast grape harvest nears with smaller crop amid challenges of drought, wildfires pressdemocrat.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pressdemocrat.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Who can afford to make $15 an hour and live within commuting distance of Napa? And if they can, will they want to do physically demanding field labor to earn that $15?
The labor crunch across wine country is real, especially for grape-growers who need not just labor, but skilled, reliable and hard-working labor. In recent decades, the farm labor market has been transformed in this country by the H-2A program, which allows farmers to recruit seasonal agricultural workers from abroad.
By law, these workers are not permitted to take jobs away from domestic workers, so they can only be brought in after applicants prove that they have exhausted employment options at home, the offer must be for a temporary or seasonal job and they must be paid an hourly wage that is competitive. In California, that means around $14.77 an hour, while in North Carolina, the rate is about $12.67. Employers must also house and transport those workers to and from home.
Lighting and curtain technologies curb light pollution, stabilize greenhouse climate
January 20, 2021
Photo courtesy of Oreon.
Ontario greenhouse growers are facing a new, serious challenge: local light pollution bylaws, and the impact of these measures on their crops.
“While nuisance regulations that protect property rights are not new, the greater adoption of supplemental lighting is getting the attention of both neighbours and municipalities,” says Kurt Parbst, director of business development at Envirotech Cultivation Solutions. “Bylaws are being adopted and considered in Canada – as well as the U.S. – that create a guiding framework that actually help protect neighbours and growers. While having rules or a defined minimum standard is helpful, it creates some technical challenges.”