Sugar beet and organic vegetable farmers stand to lose the most in ag yield this fall because of a labor shortage that has left their fields choking on weeds.

Organic farmers rely most on migrant laborers because organic-label standards limit them from using many chemical herbicides, Longmont soil conservationist Don Graffis said. Those farmers typically employ large numbers of Hispanic workers to weed their fields and, in many cases, to harvest them.

Hand-picked vegetables often receive less bruising than mechanically harvested vegetables and sell for more money, he said.

Along with drought, farmers this year have also begun to cope with new state laws that many say have already scared immigrant workers out of Colorado.

Continue reading