Already America's Top Agriculture state, CA Farmers reap record $37.5B Income (San Diego: fit in, how much)

[18Montclair]

[quote]


California's farmers and ranchers received a record high $37.5 billion for their fruits, vegetables, meat and milk in 2010, up 9 percent from the year before, federal farm officials reported Tuesday...

State farmers’ income hits record $37.5B | Recordnet.com

[Charles]

[quote=18Montclair;20690450]

California's farmers and ranchers received a record high $37.5 billion for their fruits, vegetables, meat and milk in 2010, up 9 percent from the year before, federal farm officials reported Tuesday...

State farmers’ income hits record $37.5B | Recordnet.com

I wonder how much profit they would make if they had to pay unionized American citizens, $25/hour plus full benefits and 401(k), etc. to work on the farms and ranches.

And I wonder how much an bag of grapes would cost at the supermarket.

[yeahthatguy]

[quote=18Montclair;20690450]

California's farmers and ranchers received a record high $37.5 billion for their fruits, vegetables, meat and milk in 2010, up 9 percent from the year before, federal farm officials reported Tuesday...

State farmers’ income hits record $37.5B | Recordnet.com

Inflation is amazing isn't it? That's a great majority of what this chart demonstrates .. As I don't see (VOLUME) cited ...

From the article :
"State dairy producers received $5.93 billion for their milk in 2010, up 31 percent from 2009 but down 14 percent from 2008. Higher prices made the difference as farmers received an average of $14.69 per hundred pounds of milk in 2010, compared with $11.49 in 2009.

Still, California dairies struggled to turn a profit in 2010 as higher milk prices were often offset by the rising cost of feed, such as hay, corn and other grains."

Input costs up .. product prices up .. Income up .. Profits stagnant.

[.highnlite]

I wonder how much profit they would make if they had to pay unionized American citizens, $25/hour plus full benefits and 401(k), etc. to work on the farms and ranches.

And I wonder how much an bag of grapes would cost at the supermarket.

Couple of thoughts, piece work often gets the worker around $25 an hour
Average wage in the fields, about $15 an hour, roughly the same as the Federal Firefighters working that fire up by El Portal and Yosemite.

Not a bag of grapes, a bottle of wine. We find wine prices in CA about double that in France.

Now, if the illegals are carted off without a replacement program that nearly $40 billion dollar industry will crash, the ripples out from it, whether car dealerships or tractor dealerships or supermarkets etc will make the current recession look like boom times.

Now there are those who say, well, just mechanize. Yep, the 1970's due to the costs engendered by UFWOC there was intense state research into mechanization.
Pretty much all crops that can be machine harvested are.
And the same sector of the political spectrum that wants to get rid of the illegals without any ideas about replacement workers, also don't want to fund the state research required for further mechanization. Hobson's choice.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

Couple of thoughts, piece work often gets the worker around $25 an hour
Average wage in the fields, about $15 an hour, roughly the same as the Federal Firefighters working that fire up by El Portal and Yosemite.

Not a bag of grapes, a bottle of wine. We find wine prices in CA about double that in France.

Now, if the illegals are carted off without a replacement program that nearly $40 billion dollar industry will crash, the ripples out from it, whether car dealerships or tractor dealerships or supermarkets etc will make the current recession look like boom times.

Now there are those who say, well, just mechanize. Yep, the 1970's due to the costs engendered by UFWOC there was intense state research into mechanization.
Pretty much all crops that can be machine harvested are.
And the same sector of the political spectrum that wants to get rid of the illegals without any ideas about replacement workers, also don't want to fund the state research required for further mechanization. Hobson's choice.

How you figure???

[.highnlite]

How you figure???

Well,,, we use a fair number of field workers. Keep in mind that base wages may be low, but piece work can be very good.

Federal Wildland fire fighters start at GS1, base pay $9.74 hour.

A Crew leader is often a GS 5, $15.00 hour

[Charles]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

Well,,, we use a fair number of field workers. Keep in mind that base wages may be low, but piece work can be very good.

Federal Wildland fire fighters start at GS1, base pay $9.74 hour.

A Crew leader is often a GS 5, $15.00 hour

While that GS 5 earns $15/hr, what are the costs to the government including benefits, overhead, and retirement? Probably triple that? Do they guys picking grapes cost their employers even $15/hr?

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

Well,,, we use a fair number of field workers. Keep in mind that base wages may be low, but piece work can be very good.

Federal Wildland fire fighters start at GS1, base pay $9.74 hour.

A Crew leader is often a GS 5, $15.00 hour

Somehow I doubt very seriously that field workers are paid 15hr. If that were the case they'd all be American. A person who's A+ certified to fox computers often makes less than that. In San Diego, bus drivers start at less than that.

I had a friend who was a federal wildland firefighter too. Back in the late 90's he made enough to buy a new Explorer and pay it off in less than a year he made so much.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

Not a bag of grapes, a bottle of wine. We find wine prices in CA about double that in France.

How does one meaningfully compare wine prices? The price is intimately tied to the branding, you can get wine for under $2 in California, don't think that is even possible in France.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

Somehow I doubt very seriously that field workers are paid 15hr. If that were the case they'd all be American. A person who's A+ certified to fox computers often makes less than that. In San Diego, bus drivers start at less than that.

I'm guessing you haven't had to lift a finger in your life....A person that is A+ certified sits on their butt and does basic and easy work, on the other hand the farm worker is going to do back breaking work....the average American wouldn't even get through the work day...