Looking for a temporary job? Michigan asparagus growers need hundreds of workers for the spring harvest
Published: Sunday, April 08, 2012, 8:00 AM
Hundreds of workers are needed to harvest Michigan's asparagus crop.There are about 230 immediate job openings, with more expected in the coming weeks, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
Job seekers can find out more at an asparagus industry job fair scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday at St. Joseph Parish Hall, 2349 W. Jackson Rd. in Hart.
Hart is located in Oceana County, known as the asparagus capital of the nation.
The fair is hosted by the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board and State of Michigan Workforce Development Agency.
“This year growers are in danger of losing their crop and the benefits it brings unless they can hire enough workers to harvest it,” Belen Ledezma, the agency’s director of Migrant, Immigrant and Seasonal Worker Services, said in a statement. “Our job fair will give people an opportunity to see what it takes to do the job and earn some extra springtime cash.”
Growers had to mow off more than a million pounds of asparagus last year because they lacked enough workers to harvest it, according to John Bakker, president of the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board.
Asparagus season typically runs from mid-April through June. Workers are paid based on the amount they pick. Skilled harvesters can earn more than $10 an hour, but all workers are guaranteed at least the minimum wage of $7.40 per hour.
It’s physically demanding labor — workers ride special carts through the field and harvest the asparagus by hand.
Michigan produces up to 25 million pounds of asparagus annually. Most is grown in Oceana County as well as the area between South Haven and Benton Harbor, according to the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board.
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