The Protect Our Produce Coalition has delivered a petition with 1,425 signatures to President-Elect Donald Trump, urging decisive action to preserve domestic fruit and vegetable production and protect America's food supply.
Read the full petition here.
Created in 2024 to advocate for policies that support Michigan’s fruit and vegetable growers, Protect Our Produce brings together key ag groups — including the Michigan Farm Bureau — from across the state to educate consumers on the $6 billion in economic impacts and 40,000 jobs in Michigan that are at risk without a modernized H-2A guestworker program.
“Outdated federal labor policies are driving U.S. growers out of business, and the incoming administration has the opportunity to strengthen the H-2A guestworker program, which is vital to U.S. food production,” Protect Our Produce wrote.
Rising labor costs — accounting for nearly 40% of specialty crop farm expenses, according to the USDA — are further threatening fruit and vegetable growers. The petition calls on Trump to adjust the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) to reflect fair and sustainable wages that support both workers and growers.
Protect Our Produce noted that without these changes, American consumers will face higher costs due to increased imports, especially as many continue to struggle with elevated food prices. Additionally, U.S.-grown produce adheres to the highest safety and quality standards, which means a decline in domestic production would jeopardize food security and consumer health.
“Without H-2A workers, our farm couldn’t harvest our crops,” said Mason County Farm Bureau member Bill Schwass of Springdale Farms. “Without domestic production, hand-harvested vegetables will come from other countries, which isn’t what Americans want.”
Michigan farmers using the H-2A program are required to pay workers $18.15 per hour in 2025 based on the results of USDA’s November Farm Labor Report. The state’s AEWR remains 2.31% higher than the national average of $17.74 and is the eighth highest in the nation, pushing farmers closer to the brink.
“Apples are entirely harvested by hand,” said Kent County Farm Bureau member Elizabeth Pauls of Wittenbach Orchards. “Rising H-2A costs are concerning — how will we afford this in the future? Growing food for Americans is a blessing, and I don’t want to lose that.”
For more information about the coalition and the challenges facing Michigan growers, visit protectourproduce.com.