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Jason Berry: I'm a fourth generation Georgia farmer.
I live in Vidalia, Georgia.
Along with my wife,
we own and operate a 60-acre organic vegetable farm.
Particularly in 2011,
when Georgia passed the laws that they did,
it really negatively impacted us.
What comprehensive immigration reform would do
for the fruit and vegetable industry
is would allow us to have a reliable workforce
of skilled laborers that we have to pull from
that could be there in a timely fashion
and do what we need done.
I don't know if everyone understands
how perishable these commodities are
and how imperative it is
that we have the skilled labor to do it.
You can't just take any guy off the street
and have him pick blueberries efficiently.
I know a lot of folks tend to think of that
as just menial labor,
but it truly is a skilled job.
Particularly at the fruit and vegetable side of things,
having a reliable workforce to be there
that can do an adequate job
is going to help keep prices low for the consumers.
If you go through periods where you can't get your crop picked
and we can't produce enough
of whatever fruit or vegetable that may be,
then you're going to see that fruit or vegetable
skyrocket in your grocery stores, no doubt.