According to the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, farm workers earn at least the minimum wage. During the picking season, some workers can earn more than 15 dollars an hour, depending on the amount of strawberries picked.
A handful of locals have tried the job at Fancy Farms.
"I can recall one fellow. He worked a half-day. Another fellow, he worked two half-days," Grooms said. "One guy worked one hour!"
No one survived the job.
Besides the hard work, there's also a stigma attached with working in the fields. Campbell said that socially, some feel this type of work is beneath them.
In Grooms' case, his work force is down about 20-percent, but that number will get worse in the coming weeks when the season ramps up.
He's confident some berries will go unpicked this year.
"We need more people right now, but you dont dial up 4-0-9 and get the people you need," he said. "You wait for them to just drive in and you hire them."
Read more:
http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_east_hillsborough/plant_city/despite-high-unemployment-farms-cant-find-workers-to-pick-strawberries#ixzz24cHJUrP6