Farmers are feeling the impact of this pandemic too
Posted Apr 6, 2020 06:30:00 PM.
Local farmers are also feeling the impact of COVID-19.
Many rely on seasonal workers arriving to help get the growing season underway – and many of those temporary foreign workers are being delayed due to the pandemic.
Kevin Martin is President of Martin's Family Fruit Farm in North Waterloo and tells 570 NEWS they rely on these skilled workers every year. Normally at this time of year, 54 workers would already be on his farm.
He says some arrived last week from Jamaica, but they're waiting for another 60 percent of their workers to arrive from Trinidad.
Jenn Pfenning is one of the family owners of Pfenning's Organic Vegetable Farm in New Hamburg.
They grow 700 acres of leafy greens and root vegetables
She says they rely on about 35 skilled workers from Jamaica each year to lead and assist their local workers.
Pfenning hopes those workers arrive by the end of May, but says things are still up in the air with no flights booked yet.
She says it's a little stressful at the moment.
Ottawa has allowed seasonal workers entry to Canada this spring, but the foreign workers must then self-isolate once arriving on their farm properties.
Our country admits 60,000 seasonal temporary and agricultural workers every year.
