Labor Dept warns Immigration Policies Threaten Stability of the Domestic Food Supply

[Oompa Loompa]

Have you ever been a farmhand or did work of that nature? I spent a season on a local production farm to learn how to garden but I wouldn’t want to do it for a living nor are young people required to follow suit. Automation is the future and I posted articles from WSJ acknowledging the same and they’re already doing it. Most farmers don’t want to pay a livable wage. They want the cheapest labor they can get.

~bella

Balancing Technology and People: The Evolving Role of Farm Workers in Automation

The progression toward automation is partly based on a shortage of workers, but it is part of a natural progression. Switching from work that is heavily dependent on people—whether it's you, family members or hired employees—can be complicated.

farms.extension.wisc.edu

Top 5 Agricultural Technologies 2025: Shaping the Future of Farming

These 5 trends are transforming agriculture—but one of them is way ahead of the rest. Find out which one is changing farming forever.

robovision.ai

The Future of Farming: Top AgTech Trends and Innovations to Watch in 2025 - AgTech Breakthrough

To feed a growing worldwide population the agricultural technology sector undergoes significant changes during 2025. Agriculture technology is vital for meeting rising food demand while mitigating climate risks, with 41% of farmers citing weather as a top concern in 2024. Agricultural technology...

agtechbreakthrough.com

 

[wing2000]

The same arguments were made by Democrats regarding the abolishing of slavery. "If we free the slaves, who is going to pick our cotton?"

Eh, nice try. Immigrant workers come here voluntarily to work....and are paid. You can do better.....

 

[wing2000]

Young people today dont want to trouble themselves with honest manual labor. More than likely, there will be an increase in automation.

Yes, I've seen robots milking cows first hand. And for those famers who can't afford such equipment, immigrant labor fills the need. Gone are the days of large farm families providing the labor....

 

[Oompa Loompa]

Eh, nice try. Immigrant workers come here voluntarily to work....and are paid. You can do better.....

Some immigrant workers do.

 

[DaisyDay]

I still think the plan might be purposed to depress land prices so much that the hedge funds can buy the farms on the cheap. This is consistent with what happened in other sectors of real estate.

That sounds about right.

 

[Oompa Loompa]

Yes, I've seen robots milking cows first hand. And for those famers who can't afford such equipment, immigrant labor fills the need. Gone are the days of large farm families providing the labor....

I do not think there is a single dairy farm in the country that milks their cows by hand. With or without immigrant labor.

 

[wing2000]

I do not think there is a single dairy farm in the country that milks their cows by hand. With or without immigrant labor.

There are many dairy farms that require people to operate the machinery that milks the cow.

 

[wing2000]

Some immigrant workers do.

...do what?

 

[Oompa Loompa]

...do what?

Come here voluntarily and get paid. But I guess even illegal immigrants paying back drug cartels technically voluntarily came here and are getting paid.

 

[Oompa Loompa]

There are many dairy farms that require people to operate the machinery that milks the cow.

Yeah. Until the people are replaced by Tesla robots. Times are changing.

 

[rjs330]

Have you ever been a farmhand or did work of that nature? I spent a season on a local production farm to learn how to garden but I wouldn’t want to do it for a living nor are young people required to follow suit. Automation is the future and I posted articles from WSJ acknowledging the same and they’re already doing it. Most farmers don’t want to pay a livable wage. They want the cheapest labor they can get.

~bella

This is what the free market does. Its built into the system. If farmers need more workers they will.pay higher wages to get them. Or they find automation to do it. Farmers have to make profits to in order to stay in business. If they dont they go out of business and sell their land or sell to corporations who seriously don't pay any better.

Whats going to happen is more and more automation is going to occur. China is already miles ahead of us on that. All these calls for living wages, higher wages, unions etc is now going to fall in rhe wake of automation becauae it has the ability to do the work cheaper and more efficiently than your typical worker.

There is a way to handle this and its by required work. If you are on unemployment then you are required to work at a job assigned to you. If you are on welfare rhen you are required to work including working on these farms to add to your income.

But none of that is going to last. This world is moving to automation for so many things. Many manufacturing and farming jobs are going away.

 

[Oompa Loompa]

This is what the free market does. Its built into the system. If farmers need more workers they will.pay higher wages to get them. Or they find automation to do it. Farmers have to make profits to in order to stay in business. If they dont they go out of business and sell their land or sell to corporations who seriously don't pay any better.

Whats going to happen is more and more automation is going to occur. China is already miles ahead of us on that. All these calls for living wages, higher wages, unions etc is now going to fall in rhe wake of automation becauae it has the ability to do the work cheaper and more efficiently than your typical worker.

There is a way to handle this and its by required work. If you are on unemployment then you are required to work at a job assigned to you. If you are on welfare rhen you are required to work including working on these farms to add to your income.

But none of that is going to last. This world is moving to automation for so many things. Many manufacturing and farming jobs are going away.

Yep, and the only thing delaying this "progress" is a cheap illegal workforce.

 

[bèlla]

There is a way to handle this and its by required work. If you are on unemployment then you are required to work at a job assigned to you. If you are on welfare rhen you are required to work including working on these farms to add to your income.

But none of that is going to last. This world is moving to automation for so many things. Many manufacturing and farming jobs are going away.

If the positions aren’t desirable by the populace automation is fine. I wouldn’t be too quick to speak on the other while social security hasn’t been resolved. You may find yourself in similar straights. It wasn’t included in project 2025 but they’re initiating changes and it won’t be untouched.

~bella

 

[bèlla]

@rjs330 Since I mentioned social security I thought you’d be interested in what I found. The information was archived but its accessible and you’ll get a feel for what they have in mind. It was produced by The Heritage Foundation which originated the manifesto for Project 2025. I think they left it out on purpose.

The Heritage Foundation recommends an array of spending cuts for the 2023-2032 fiscal years, including raising the retirement age to 69 or 70 to reflect longer life expectancy and switching to a flat benefit instead of tying it to one's lifetime wages.

Should the Social Security Retirement Age Be Raised? Yes.