The U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc. (USCHI) recently hosted their 42nd annual convention January 30 - February 1, in Des Moines, Iowa. An official count has yet to be released, but estimates say there were roughly 1,000 attendees, including harvesters, manufacturers, and vendors.
The yearly convention serves as an opportunity for custom harvesters to learn about new regulations, new advances in ag technology, and network with other harvesters.
U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc. is an organization focused on representing the harvest industry on the national level as well as enhancing the relationship between all members of the industry. USCHI board members travel to Washington D.C. twice a year to lobby before members of Congress. Board member Mychal Neumiller says “We usually sit down with the Department of Labor and the Department of Transportation. We go to a lot of meet and greets where we talk to congressional staffers and the occasional senator. We just try to keep our name relevant in D.C. and continue to make an impact.”
When asked about the main goals of the organization, Neumiller says “A huge goal of ours is to make sure all members are up to date on safety regulations and that they are compliant with any new rules.” The custom harvest industry is an ever-changing landscape that requires all members to be up to date on rules and regulations.
The biggest issue facing the custom harvest industry is undoubtedly labor. Neumiller also included in the interview, “There’s always a shortage of labor … so many harvesters primarily use foreign labor and it is becoming more and more difficult to work with restrictions regarding H2A laborers.” USCHI board member Aubree Thouvenel adds “Every year it gets harder and harder to find help, domestically or H2A. Not many applications come from the U.S., and some states require harvesters to pay foreign help at least $30 per hour.”
The annual U.S. Custom Harvesters convention plays a huge role in industry networking. Harvesters get to see other harvesters, vendors, and manufacturers from around the country, as well as COOs of large farm companies such as Krone.
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