But growers in the olive industry, for example, say that to pay much more makes farming uncompetitive in the global marketplace. Olive Council President Aden Hester. California is competing head on with Spain and Morocco. They have started making black ripe olives in those countries, and they have focused on the food service industry in the United States. And they're selling them very cheap.
Wages are higher in the premium wine industry.
At the Hoot Owl Creek Vineyards in Sonoma County, where they produce fine cabernets and Merlots, management found that higher wages weren't the solution. Now, with five men, he can pick 15 acres a day. In contrast, a crew of 30 farm workers harvesting by hand picked just five acres. As part of the enticement to get and keep workers, Hoot Owl Creek provides housing for its laborers, some of whom live here year-round. Housing for migrant workers has long been a contentious issue.