Migrant issue is a threat to farms

GREEN RIVER — Looking out over mounds of freshly picked melons ready for shipping, Nancy Dunham says she isn't planning on retiring any time soon.

When asked how long she'll keep working, the 75-year-old woman who has farmed in Green River since the 1950s, replies, "forever."

She's proud her six children are all involved in agriculture, including her son Chris, 45, who's also here today.

The Dunhams' way of life is deeply rooted here, but they say their livelihood is being threatened by the same challenges farmers across the country face — everything from rising fuel prices to overseas competition.

And, to make matters worse, they're also facing a shrinking labor supply as Congress clamps down on the Mexican border and workers continue to leave for higher paying industries.

"I've done this for 30 years, and you're not going to find many white people who will do farm labor," he says. "There are other things we can do besides melons, but we can't do it without field workers."

The melons at Green River farms are still picked by hand. Nancy Dunham says she hires veterans and retirees but says much of her labor is migrant from Mexico.

"The state really benefits greatly from having these people here," Dunham says. "Until agriculture is mechanized completely, there is no substitute for hand labor."

The Dunhams and other farmers here say they ask new hires to show proper documents but have no way of verifying them. While the farmers here acknowledge the importance of national security, they're hoping any immigration reform will include a way for migrant workers to cross the border easily and legally.

No proof

A few months ago, the immigration debate came to a head with thousands of Latinos taking to the streets in protest of a U.S. House measure that would tighten border security and crack down on those who employ illegal immigrants. The Senate passed its own measure, which would legalize many of the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. The debate has since stalled, as House and Senate members have yet to start work on a compromise.

Farmers do a good job asking for documentation but have no way to verify it, says Randy Parker, chief executive officer of the Utah Farm Bureau.

However, there is evidence that a large segment is undocumented. Corrie Jensen, program manager for the Utah Farmworker Program, estimates that only about 5 percent of migrant workers are legal.