WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Finger Lakes Farm Bureau organized an early May trip to Washington D.C., meeting with virtually all of New York’s Congressional delegation on the immigration issue.

Mark James, Executive Director of the Finger Lakes Farm Bureau Regional Office, said “Ten members from the Finger Lakes traveled to Washington D.C., representing apples, vegetables, the wine and grape industry and the dairy industry’s perspective on immigration.

“We had a very warm reception from staffers and members of the Congressional delegation on Capitol Hill. One of the best meetings we had was with the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, when growers explained exactly why we needed immigration reform this year. “The pressure growers are facing from Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions and the conflicting nature of employment verification for employers are making it very difficult to operate a farm business,” James said.

The grape farmers on the trip expressed their frustrations with the current H2a program, as the red tape and bureaucratic delays, along with the expense, simply make the program unworkable for most smaller seasonal employers.

Laura Pedersen, a vegetable farmer in Seneca County, discussed the need to reform the immigration system for the processing industry as well as for farmers. A large vegetable processor, Taylor Packing, recently announced it was expanding its operations in Mexico largely because of the uncertain labor supply in the Finger Lakes.

Finger Lakes growers have been actively working with business groups and county government officials on this critical issue. The Seneca County and Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce, both members of New York Farm Bureau, sent letters to Congress supporting agricultural immigration reform. The Wayne County and Seneca County Board of Supervisors also passed resolutions supporting Farm Bureau’s immigration reform priorities.