Ensuring a Stable Agricultural Workforce for America

America is in the middle of an agricultural labor crisis. Farmers, ranchers, growers, and producers across the country are struggling to find enough legal, reliable, and experienced workers to sustain domestic production of food, fiber, nursery, and other essential agricultural products. In fiscal year 2025, fewer than 0.04% of more than 415,000 advertised farm jobs received a domestic applicant, while demand for H-2A guest workers continues to grow under an outdated and increasingly unaffordable system that excludes many year-round agricultural sectors. Since 2017, the U.S. has lost approximately 175,000 farms, as many producers scale back operations, shift to less labor-intensive production, or leave agriculture entirely because they cannot secure a stable workforce. The impact extends far beyond the farm, threatening rural economies, farm-dependent jobs, domestic supply chains, and America’s long-term agricultural competitiveness. Without reform, more production will move overseas, increasing reliance on foreign sources for essential food, fiber, nursery, and agricultural products.

Washington, D.C. (May 7, 2025)—"With the reintroduction of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, the Agriculture Workforce Coalition commends Reps. Newhouse and Lofgren for […]