one more thing:

The U.S. federal government shutdown, now ending its second week, is affecting the the H-2A guestworker program.


So, this means no workers to plant, cultivate, and harvest our winter food supply.

Which puts growers in a quandary: Do I stop planting/growing my crop because I won't have labor or do I use local labor which may be of questionable legal status?

Even if the H2-A program opened back up today, there is probably 60 days backlog in processing, which sets the growing season back further... IF those guestworkers haven't already found work elsewhere

And let's say this shutdown thing continues for another few weeks... By then we've lost 1/3 of the growing season (at least in FL).

Given our state produces 70% of the nation's winter vegetables, what do you think the price of tomatoes will do? What about peanuts, sweet and silage corn, lettuce?

Save your pennies, folks. Could be an interesting winter