Monterey County Farm Bureau Issues Statement on Immigrant Rights

Monterey County Farm Bureau supports their local farmworker community during recent Customs and Border Protection actions in California counties.

Participating at the Wednesday, January 15 press conference at the County’s Administrative Offices in Salinas, Monterey County Farm Bureau’s Executive Director reiterated the importance of their essential workforce in the Salinas Valley.

“Farming depends on a stable and reliable workforce, one not under threat. We appreciate the farmworkers’ vital contributions to the national food supply as essential workers,” stated Norm Groot. “We cannot change the fact that farmworkers were considered essential during the pandemic; the circumstances remain the same, these are essential workers.”

Monterey County Agriculture is a $4.3 billion-dollar economic sector that depends on 55,000 farmworkers to harvest crops each year, primarily immigrants; some have resided in Monterey County communities for decades.

The nation’s fresh food supply and local economy are fully dependent on this workforce, and the Monterey County Farm Bureau considers this a national security priority in a time of agricultural labor shortages.

“Farming operations stand behind the County’s efforts to inform our local immigrant communities of their rights and that their jobs are secure and workplaces are safe,” Groot stated at the press conference.

The Monterey County Farm Bureau has been a strong advocate for immigrant rights and public policy reform for over 20 years … it’s time to fix this policy failure at the national level, not by disrupting our communities with threats of deportation.

The domestic food supply depends on immigrant labor and public policies should reflect support for the essential farmworkers.

Monterey County Farm Bureau, founded in 1917, represents family farmers and ranchers in the interest of promoting and protecting agriculture throughout Monterey County, CA. We strive to improve the ability of those engaged in production agriculture to provide a reliable source of food and fiber through reasonable stewardship of our local resources.

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