Niagara County is having
more than it's share of devastating storms. wiping out fruit in all areas of the
county. The most recent ones were Wednesday morning and again late that afternoon.
Shown are damaged grape, apple, peach and cherry crops.
Click on the
pictures to see full picture
Paterson’s Protectionism Leaves Crop To Spoil
by JACOB GERSHMAN
New York farmers say Governor Paterson’s crackdown on
foreign farm workers and promotion of domestic labor is
backfiring, leaving them with a shortage of hands in the
fields that they say will lead to crop losses this harvest
season.
Farmers, who have for years relied on seasonal
labor mostly from Jamaica and Mexico obtained through
federal guest-worker contracts, say the governor’s
Department of Labor has disrupted their supply chain in an
effort to force them to hire less experienced domestic
workers from Puerto Rico and other areas.
