The “Let’s Talk About Labor” podcast is a collaboration between the University of Tennessee and GAP Connections and aims to help you connect with farmers in Tennessee and other surrounding states, specifically to hear about their experiences using various US temporary foreign visa programs and other strategies they have used to address their labor needs. We also want to help you connect with individuals from government and non-profit organizations who could help you navigate options related to addressing your labor needs.
Episode 1: Let’s talk about the H-2A program – Farmers’ experiences with the H-2A program
In this episode, George McDonald, owner of Catesa Farms, and Bart Gilmer, one of the owners of Falcon Ridge Farm, will talk about their general experience with the H-2A program. The H-2A temporary agricultural program, also called the H-2A visa program, is a program that allows U.S. agricultural employers experiencing a shortage of domestic workers to fill seasonal or temporary jobs with foreign nonimmigrant workers.
Episode 2: H-2A Worker Housing: Practical Things I Need to Know Before Considering the H-2A Program
In this episode, George McDonald, owner of Catesa Farms, and Bart Gilmer, one of the owners of Falcon Ridge Farm, will talk about housing requirements related to the H-2A program. Employers of H-2A workers must provide housing at no cost to workers. If the employer decides to secure rental accommodations, such as apartments, hotels, or motels, the employer is required to pay all housing-related charges directly to the housing management. Employer-provided or secured housing must meet all applicable safety standards. Housing costs include repairs, water testing, and utilities if the employer is providing housing on-site instead of securing rental accommodations. In Tennessee, the type of housing provided by employers to H-2A workers varies greatly depending on the number of workers.
Episode 3: H-2A Worker Transportation: Practical Things I Need to Know Before Considering the H-2A Program
In this episode, George McDonald, owner of Catesa Farms, and Bart Gilmer, one of the owners of Falcon Ridge Farm, will talk about the inbound and outbound transportation of H-2A workers. There are costs associated with workers traveling from their home country to the work site and back to their country, including transportation and subsistence costs. There are also costs related to workers’ transportation for traveling to and from the living quarters, the grocery store, and the bank. These costs will vary depending on the worker’s country of origin, mode of transportation, distance to the grocery store and bank, and distance from the living quarters to the worksite. In this episode, we will only talk about inbound and outbound transportation.
Episode 4: H-2A Program Housing Requirements
In this Episode, Lance Butler from the Tennessee Department of Labor will talk about housing requirements under the H-2A visa program and housing options. Lance Butler oversees four programs in Tennessee, including the H2A and H2B visa programs, the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker program, and the Senior Community Service Employment Program.
For more information about the podcast, and topics you would like to hear about, contact Margarita Velandia, mvelandi@tennessee.edu.
