#14: Interview with Jim Bittner on federal agricultural guest worker program (H-2A) - 7-27-2023

In this episode, we visit the Bittner Singer Orchards in western New York.This 400 acre orchard grows delicious stone fruits like cherries, peaches and nectarines. The day we toured, workers were picking regina cherries, whose sweet-tart flavor right off the tree makes them a favorite.Picking delicate fruit quickly and carefully is skilled labor. Most workers are Mexican migrants who join the farm each summer through the federal H-2A guest worker program. This involves considerable time and expense for the farm owner.These seasonal laborers are vital for getting summer fruit from orchard to market. We talk with the Jim Bittner about life on the fruit farm and what it takes to make fruit farming a reality.