Michigan vegetable growers tell committee labor, water and regulation threaten production; council seeks research funding

Representatives of the Michigan vegetable industry told the Michigan House Agriculture Committee on March 20 that rising labor costs tied to the federal H-2A guest worker program, limits on water use, and growing regulatory burdens are reducing the state—s vegetable acreage and making it harder for family farms to stay viable.

Kent Carnamot, a managing partner at Carnamot Farms in Fremont, told the committee that foreign competition and water rules are two of the farm—s biggest concerns. "Foreign competition. Our shelves on our stores are filled with farm products sourced with little regard for labor rates, food safety, and the environment," Carnamot said. He also listed aquifer restrictions, regulation, and manpower as factors that challenge operations.

Adam Van Dyke of Van Dyke Farms in Emmett City described how labor and market pressures shape planting decisions and farm succession. "The H-2A program, our…