New England growers seek long-term solutions to labor squeeze

Added on 31 August 2023

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New England growers seek long-term solutions to labor squeeze

A collaborative research effort by the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, Farm Credit East, and the Connecticut Farm Bureau has produced comprehensive reports outlining the current labor situation in the state’s agricultural and green industries.

The reports were prepared by Rigoberto Lopez, professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ARE). Christopher Laughton, Director of Knowledge at Farm Credit East, was co-author on the green industry report; and Luis Seoane, a Ph.D. student in ARE and Joan Nichols, Director of the Connecticut Farm Bureau, collaborated on the agricultural industry labor report. The reports were created under the umbrella of the UConn Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy.

Connecticut’s robust green industry includes greenhouses, plant nurseries, floriculture, and landscaping businesses. Across these operations, the researchers identified a common issue: a lack of labor availability. These sectors have trouble filling the positions they need to maintain and grow their operations across the country.

The researchers say agricultural and green industries have long had trouble staffing their operations, but the problem has become more severe in the past decade or so.