Source: UC DAVIS RURAL MIGRATION NEWS, 3/29/22


Most of the farms surveyed for the GHAR produced fresh fruits and vegetables. Two-thirds invested $350,000 to $400,000 a year to automate hand tasks, purchasing equipment that eliminates pre-harvest jobs and makes hand harvesters more productive, as when platforms replace ladders or robots and conveyor belts reduce the time that workers must carry harvested produce.

Labor-saving mechanization and automation is motivated by the rising cost of farm labor. Average farm earnings of $15 an hour were 60 percent of average $25 an hour nonfarm earnings in 2020. The farm-nonfarm wage gap is expected to narrow as farm earnings average $20 in 2025 and nonfarm earnings $30.

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