Help Wanted: Analyzing the Farm Labor Flash Points & Fixes

A new(ish) administration brings new opportunities and new challenges to long-sought workforce reforms for agriculture. Now a year in, experts from industry, academia, and government will expand on these developments with observations on what to expect in the next three years.

Speakers:

• Alexandra Hill, Associate Professor, University of California Berkelely
• Bryan Little, Senior Director, Policy Advocacy, California Farm Bureau
• John Walt Boatright, Director, Government Affairs, AFBF

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Speaker Details

Alexandra Hill

Alexandra Hill is an Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research centers around US farmworkers and US farm employers. In her work, she seeks to uncover avenues for simultaneously improving worker well-being while increasing business profitability and sustainability.

Brian Little

Bryan is an employment policy specialist with extensive experience in both government and agriculture who has served as the Chief Operating Officer of Farm Employers Labor Service, an affiliated company of the California Farm Bureau, since 2009. In that role, Bryan oversees FELS’ activities assisting California agricultural employers with legal and regulatory compliance, implementation of best employment practices, development and implementation of products and services for agricultural employers, and development and dissemination of information to help California agricultural employers be employers of choice in their communities.

Bryan also serves as Senior Director, Policy Advocacy for California Farm Bureau, representing Farm Bureau members on legislative, congressional and regulatory issues involving employment and human resources policy. Bryan serves on the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Personnel Management Association, and as an employer representative to the Governing Committee of the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California. Bryan if frequently interviewed by electronic, social and print media on a variety of topics related to agricultural employment and employees. Bryan served with the U.S. Department of Labor from December 2001 to May 2008, first as a Congressional Relations Officer, later as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health. Prior to joining DOL, Bryan was Senior Director for Governmental Affairs for American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington, D.C., specializing in employment and human resources issues, transportation policy, and regulatory reform. Bryan earned a bachelor's degree in political science and public administration from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. and resides with his wife, Ellen, in Fair Oaks, Ca.

John Walt Boatright

John Walt Boatright joined AFBF as Director of Government Affairs in November 2022. In this role, John Walt’s portfolio includes farm labor, pesticides, food safety, and specialty crops. This includes legislative initiatives in Congress, as well as engagement with the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

In addition to working closely with state Farm Bureaus and policymakers to accomplish AFBF policy, John Walt also represents the organization in its collaborative industry work, including the Agriculture Workforce Coalition, the Pesticide Policy Coalition, the Minor Crop Farmer Alliance, the Agricultural Safety & Health Council of America, and the Commodity Liaison Committee of the IR-4 Project.

Prior to joining American Farm Bureau, he led national affairs for Florida Farm Bureau for over 5 years. A native Floridian, John Walt graduated with a bachelor’s degree in food and resource Economics from the University of Florida in 2013.