Michigan farmers are having difficulty finding enough seasonal workers to support the state's expanding fruit and vegetable growing industry. State figures estimate that the number of seasonal workers has gone up 7.3 percent since 2006; yet many Michigan growers have reported instances where they have been forced to leave their crops unpicked in fields and orchards. Among bad weather, recession and industry changes, the cliffhanger of immigration reform in the federal government is cited as the chief reason for the shortage.
See "Lack of seasonal workers puts Michigan farmers in a pickle", Gary Heinlein, Detroit Free Press, August 25, 2013