Daina Costello writes on LoHud.com - “…it’s not the wind, rain or heat that farmer Bob Stuart says could compromise the legacy of his farm. No, instead it’s the politicians looking to impose regulations on an industry they don’t understand, he says.

“They sit in their air-conditioned offices and they make laws. They have no idea what it’s like to pick tomatoes in 90-degree heat, and they have no idea what it’s like to prune in 15 degrees,” said Stuart, clothes chalky with dried dirt from the fields. “You can live without politicians, but you can’t live without food.”

Heeding similar outrage from farmers throughout New York, the state Senate this month narrowly defeated a labor bill that farmers said would put have them out of business and driven up food costs.

The legislaton, known as the Omnibus Farmworker Labor Bill, sought to secure greater protections for agricultural workers, many of whom are migrants.

The bill sought to guarantee workers 24 consecutive hours of rest every seven days, time-and-a-half overtime pay and the right to collective bargaining on farms that make more than $650,000 in gross income over the year.

The 31-28 vote was the bill’s second Senate defeat, yet advocates say the fight is not over yet.”

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