LIVERPOOL, N.Y. — The 2018 Becker Forum will take place on Monday, January 15, one day prior to the opening of the Empire State Producers Expo. The forum will focus on agricultural workforce issues with three general themes; securing a legal agricultural workforce, labor law compliance and H-2A program topics.
Farm Employment Practices: Planning for the Future
Becker Forum 2018
Monday, January 15, 2018 | 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Holiday Inn Liverpool, 37 Electronics Parkway, Liverpool, NY 13088
Featured speaker Kristi Boswell from USDA will provide an overview regarding her agency’s activities aimed at improving opportunities for agricultural employers to attract and hire a qualified and legal workforce.
Other speakers will provide a review of changes in both state and federal laws as well as key employment practices to ensure labor law compliance. Ann Margaret Pointer and Joshua Viau, Atlanta office of Fisher Phillips Law Firm, will review key points for accurate wage recording and avoiding payroll mistakes for the farm workplace. In addition, they will review key components of federal labor laws that apply to farm employers with a focus on federal DOL inspections and housing.
The afternoon program will focus on information related to the H-2A Program. Current changes in the H-2A program will be highlighted. Since each year H-2A participation in New York increases, a panel of growers with experience using H-2A will guide forum participants through procedures that they used to effectively hire foreign-born H-2A workers. Kameron and Mark Marten from Agri-Placements, Fairview, Oklahoma, will share how other regions of the United States are using the H-2A Program.
A roundtable discussion with the speakers at the end of the afternoon will provide an opportunity for questions and discussion regarding critical workforce issues.
The 2018 Empire State Producers Expo is January 16-18 at the SRC Arena in Syracuse, NY. This annual show combines the major fruit, flower and vegetable associations of New York State in order to provide a comprehensive trade show and educational conference for New York producers, as well as neighboring states and Eastern Canada. In years past over 100 presentations were given by Cornell Cooperative Extension personnel and highly regarded speakers from across the country. Panel discussions feature some of the top industry experts and growers in New York. Between educational sessions, attendees can visit the trade show featuring over 150 commercial vendors and non-profit exhibitors.
Educational sessions topics include commodity specific programs in berries, cabbage, snap beans, peas, beets, carrots, fruiting vegetables (tomatoes, peppers), cut flowers, tree fruit, sweet corn, tomato, onion, Cole crops, root crops, vine crops, and emerging markets (hops, malting barley, mushrooms, hemp, hard cider); and multidisciplinary programs in precision irrigation, weed management, soil health, biopesticides, beginning farmer operations, marketing, greenhouse production, climate and forecast models, GMOs, and wildlife management. DEC pesticide recertification credits and Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) credits will be offered during the appropriate educational sessions.
For more information about the Expo and to register, visit the NYS Vegetable Growers Association website at nysvga.org/expo.
—Cornell Cooperative Extension
Cornell Vegetable Program (CVP)
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