Midterm Results Put Produce Workforce Bill in Focus
Florida and California produce firms say the lame-duck session offers a rare window to push H-2A workforce reform.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Agriculture
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Industry members shared their views on how the midterm election results, reported Tuesday evening, could affect the produce sector. Wish Farms urged growers to press lawmakers to pass the Securing America's Workforce Act (SAWA) during the lame-duck session.
Why it matters
Growers operating on razor-thin margins need workforce certainty to keep running. Industry members view the lame-duck session as a rare legislative opportunity for H-2A reform.
Vineyards are 30-year investments, which Grapery says makes it plan on a long-term basis rather than in response to elections. The source does not specify how many growers or workers the pending SAWA legislation would affect.
The players
Wish Farms
A Florida-based produce company whose vice president of corporate affairs, Nick Wishnatzki, urged growers to pressure lawmakers on SAWA.
Grapery
A California-based grape company led by CEO Jim Beagle that plans its investments on a long-term basis.
A&B Tropical Produce
A Florida-based produce company whose representative, Alan Goldberg, said elections will not affect the Florida produce industry.
The details
Wish Farms, based in Florida, urged growers, shippers and industry partners to contact their representatives and senators to push SAWA. Alan Goldberg of A&B Tropical Produce said elections will not impact the produce industry in Florida, while Florida agriculture commissioner Wilton Simpson, a Republican, was reelected.
Timeline
Tuesday evening (November 3, 2026): Midterm U.S. election results were reported.
Lame-duck session (following the midterms): Window to pass SAWA and H-2A reform.
Market Landscape
The push for SAWA reflects the produce sector's ongoing dependence on H-2A seasonal labor in a market where thin margins leave little room for workforce disruption. Growers are treating the lame-duck session as a rare opening for H-2A reform rather than waiting for the next election cycle.
Growers and shippers are being asked to contact their representatives and senators to push SAWA before the lame-duck session ends. The outcome could determine whether seasonal workforce supply stays stable for produce operations.
The takeaway
Long-term agricultural investments like 30-year vineyards cannot be planned around short election cycles, so workforce policy certainty matters. Stakeholders who want H-2A reform should contact their elected officials during the lame-duck window.
What happens next
The lame-duck session following the midterm elections is the window in which industry members hope to pass SAWA and H-2A reform.
Further reading
Explore more Agriculture coverage for context on how labor policy shapes the produce sector.
More information
Learn more from Wish Farms about its position on the workforce issue.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Freshplaza.
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