Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to [email protected].
As a partner in several restaurants around greater Bangor, I see firsthand how important food is to Mainers. Others in the food industry in Maine, especially farmers, also understand the strong relationship between Mainers and food. Unfortunately, employers are hurting because we cannot find people to fill our job vacancies — many farmers can’t even farm their full acreage and too many restaurants can’t keep their eateries open seven days a week.
The severe labor shortage is part of the reason for inflation at our grocery stores and eateries nationally. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts that next year the U.S. will start importing more food than we export. A nation that can’t feed itself is not secure.
We desperately need Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King to get behind a Senate version of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which the House already passed. The bill would beef up our farm labor supply to help get food from American farms to our tables, and could also lead to an increased labor supply in the restaurant industry.
I stand with the many Maine farm and business interests who recently wrote to our senators asking them to support the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. Even when businesses like mine pay starting wages far higher than Maine’s minimum wage, not enough Mainers want these jobs — and it’s only going to get worse as more Mainers retire.
Immigration has powered America for hundreds of years. Maine’s senators must make sure we have the immigration laws we need to staff and feed our state. Passing farm worker reform in the Senate is the right thing to do for all Mainers. The Senate needs to act this year — we’re desperate here.
Keith Manaker
Co-owner
Harvest Moon Deli
Owner
Tacorita
Orono
