University of California College of Agriculture Agricultural Experiment Station Berkeley, California SEASONAL I A3 OR NEEDS FOR CALIFORNIA CROFS LAKE COUNTY Frogress Report No. 17 by R» L. Adams Preliminary — Subject to Correction December, 1936 Contribution from the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics Mimeographed Report No. 53 BRMWH OF ' T ^ TURE (Farm Labor Survey — July-December, 1936) Progress Report No. 17 Seasonal Labor Needs for California Crops Lake County Scope of Presentation. -- The following considerations govern the presentation of this progress report: 1. The data are confined to the area indicated above. 2. The data are confined solely to crops, livestock needs being ignored. 3. The findings apply only to occasional or seasonal labor requirements as distinguished from labor contributed by farm operators and by workers employed on a year-round or regular basis of employment. 4. Attention is concentrated upon workers required for hand tasks — planting, thinning, weeding, hoeing, and harvesting — without including teamsters, tractor drivers, irrigators, and shed packers of vegetables or fruits. 5. The rresentation includes the so-called migratory, transient, or roving workers which comprise an important source of help needed in connection with certain tasks and at "peak" times which seasonally arise in connection with many field, truck, and fruit crops commercially produced in California. 6. This report is confined to California's need for seasonal agricultural workers because of the more pressing problems liable to arise in connection there- with. A later study is planned which will deal with other kinds of labor involved in the production of California's many crops. Brief Description of the Area . — Lake County lies in the midst of the Coast Range Mountains, about 70 miles north of San Francisco Bay and about midway between the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Sacramento Valley on the east. It is 60 miles long from north to south and 15 to 25 miles wide from east to west. It has an area of 792,320 acres, of which only 47,475 are classified as crop land by the United States Census of 1935. The important farming areas are located in the central part of the county at an elevation of from 1,400 to 1,500 feet above sea level. The principal soils which are of agricultural value are clay loams and alluvial soils. Dairying is the most important agricultural enterprise of the county; pears are the principal crop of the county. Crops, Acreages, and Production . — The basis used in calculating seasonal need for labor in addition to that furnished by farm operators and regularly employed workers appears as table 1. TABLE 1 Basis for Calculating Seasonal Labor Requirements 1 ake County Crop Acreage Production Field crops:* Alfalfa hay f 5,999 15,946 tons Table continued on next page. 2. Table 2 continued. Crops Acreage Production Ootti fnr p*r*fl i n V u,oo<c bushels Grain VirvIpv /U,oco bushels oats 515 14,845 bushels wheat 2,133 38,491 bushels Hay — - small grain 2,687 3,685 tons other grasses 2,212 2,380 tons =f Hops 124 817 bales in 1935 (1,267 in 1934) Seed crops : Carrots 120 I>C U U LI V tJ 50 10 Parsnips 15 v©^ J ei»o.DJL0 crops : h N't* ncr "honyicf . yiv-.i vin< QUI J-Ia^ UtJclXlC) CtAiirilllg J.UU 600 tons 1^ f\ V* T> ^\ T" 1 \ja.Ti 0 XS 1 30 — — rruiT. ana nui; crops: n iixiuo nus 545 48 tons Apples "f" 195 mm 7 Cherries "t 1 9 ±c Grapes Jo 'J tons Olives "t" Peaches "f 72 Pears — Bartlett r , fOic , (20,844 tons of which 5,257 tons Winter 56 ( (fresh weight) were dried Prunes 1,674 2,513 tons (dry weight) ^ Walnuts 2,155 481.5 tons -- 875.900 pounds Chestnuts t merchantable 15 * Data from United States Census, 1935. T Use of seasonal labor on these crops inconsequential and hence ignored. ^ The following drying ratios apply to these crops: Hops 3 1/3 to 1 Prunes 2 l/4 to 1 Data from Federal State Crop Reporting Service. Acreage of specified vegetable crops by counties. 1935. Beans doubled in 1936. <fl From Stokes, Sydney J., Agricultural Commissioner, Lake County, and L. C. Barnard, County Agent, Unitod States Department of Agriculture. Operations Requiri ng Seasonal Labor and Time of Need .— Farm operations requiring the use of seasonal or occasional labor for the various crops raised in Lake County are indicated in table 2. This tabulation does not include the employ- ing of shed workers needed to wash, pack, and prepare various commodities for shipping and marketing. 1 TAB IE 2 Operations Requiring Use of Seasonal Labor and Times of Needs by- Lake County- Crops Crop Field crops : Grain Hay — other than alfalfa Hops Seed crops : Carrot seed Lettuce seed Operation Harvesting Mowing Raking Shocking Pruning, stringing, and train- VI. » Picking Drying Baling Planting Hoeing Cutting - by hand Threshing Thinning Time of need Fer cent of work done by seasonal help June 15-30 — 50 per cent of acreage July 1-15 — 50 per cent of acreage -J June 1-15 — all of acrea June 1-15 — all of acrea w June 1-15 — all of acreage March 1-31 April 1-30 May 1-31 June 1-30 August 20-31 — 50 per cent of crop September 1-10 — 50 per cent of crop August 20-31 mm 50 per cent of crop September 1-10 — 50 per cent of crop ] — • September 10-30 crop all of December — 50 per cent of acreage January ~ 50 per cent of acreage April — 2/3 of job May — 1/3 of job August 20-31 — 20 per cent of acreage September 1-30 — 60 per cent of acreage October 1-10 — 20 per cent of acreage September 1-30 — 60 per cent of acreage October 1-20 — 40 per cent of acreage May — all of acreage } J 50 50 100 100 66 70 100 100 \ 100 80 100 Output per man- day 5 acres 7.5 acres 15.0 acres 30.0 acres Total of 15 man-days per acre for season 215 pounds (green weight) 4,000 pounds (green weight) 12 bales of 200 pounds (dry weight) 0.5 acre Total of 3 man- days per acre 0.4 acre 0.33 acre 0.5 acre Table continued on next page. 4. Table 2 continued. Crop Operation Tine of need Per cent of work done by seas o nal help Output per man-day Lettuce seed (cont.) Hoeing Cutting Onion seed Parsnip seed Vegetable crops : Beans — string Threshing Flanting Hoeing Cutting — by hand Threshing, rolling, screening, and washing Planting Hoeing Harvesting Threshing Picking — for canning Fruit and nut crops; Almonds Knocking June -~ all of acreage August 20-31 — 20 per cent of crop September 1-30 — 60 per cent of crop October 1-10 — 20 per cent of crop September 1-30 — 60 per cent of acreage October 1-20 *» 40 per cent of acreage December — 50 per cent of acreage January — 50 per cent of acreage April — 2/3 of job May — 1/3 of job August 15-31 September 1-15 December — 50 per cent of acreage January — 50 per cent of acreage April — 2/3 of job May — l/3 of job ] j j August — all of acreage September — all of acreage July 15-31 — 20 per cent of crop August 1-31 — 50 per cent of crop September 1-30 — 30 per cent of crop August 1-31 — 50 per cent of crop September 1-30 — 50 per cent of crop 100 100 80 100 100 100 90 100 100 100 80 100 100 0,5 acre 0.33 acre 0.5 acre 0,3 acre Total of 3 man-days per acre 1/8 acre 4 man-days per acre 0,5 acre Total of 3 man- days per acre 0,5 acre 0,33 acre 250 pounds 150 pounds Table continued on next page. 1 5. Table 2 continued. Crop Operation Tine of need Per cent of work done by seasonal help Output per man- day Almonds (cont.) Grapes Pears Hulling Fruning Picking Pruning Brush disposal Blight control mm 8 tines over acreage Picking Cutting for drying 50 per 50 per per cent per cent August 1-31 — cent of crop September 1-30 — cent of crop January 1-31 — 40 of acreage February 1-28 — 40 cent of acreage March 1-31 ~ 20 per of acreage September 20-30 — 40 per cent of crop October 1-31 — 60 per cent of crop 1-30 job 1-31 job — 15 per — 25 per 25 per November cent of December cent of January 1-31 - cent of job February 1-28 25 par cent of job March 1-15 — 10 per cent of job November 1-30 cent of job 15 per 25 per — 25 per 10 per cent December 1-31 cent of job January 1-31 — 25 per cent of job February 1-28 cent of job March 1-15 — of job May June July July 25-31 — 5 per cent of crop August 1-31 — 80 per cent of crop September 1-30 — 15 per cent of crop August 15-31 — 50 per cent of job September 1-30 — 50 per cent of job 1 50 50 90 40 40 50 > 90 100 500 pounds 0,75 acre 2,400 pounds 0.2 acre 5 acres Varies greatly — average 4 man- days per acre 2,000 pounds 1,375 pounds (fresh weight) Table continued on next page. 6. Table 2 continued. Crop Pears (cont.) Prunes Walnuts Operation Other labor in dry-yard Pruning — 50 per cent of acreage Brush burning Picking up Dipping and drying Fi eking up Hulling (by machine) Time of need Per cent of work done by seasonal help J 100 40 August 15-31 — 45 per cent of job September 1-30 — 45 per cent of job October 1-30 — 10 per cent of job December 1-51 — l/3 of acreage January 1-31 — l/3 of acreage February 1-28 — l/3 of acreage December 1-31 — l/3 of acreage January 1-31 — l/3 of acreage February 1-28 — l/3 of acreage August 20-31 — 10 per cent of crop* September 20^30 — 30 per cent of crop October 1-31 — 60 per cent of crop August 20-31 — 10 per cent of crop September 20-30 — 30 per cent of crop October 1-31 — 60 per cent of crop October 1-31 '— 90 per cent of crop November 1-7 — 10 per cent of crop Use of seasonal labor inconsequential and 40 90 90 100 80 Output per man- day 26.5 hours per fresh ton 0,5 acre 2.5 acres ! , 500 pounds 1,250 pound: (fresh weight) 8.3 man- hours per fresh ton 300 pounds hence ignored. * Sugar prunes ripen earlier than French prunes and average larger in s i ze , Findings of Seasonal Labor .Needs.— Details and summaries of seasonal labor requirements of lake County agriculture are presented as table 3. The "size of task" are figures drawn from table 1, in terms of either acreage or output in tons, crates, boxes, or whatever unit is commonly used. The "output per man-day" is an average figure for the entire acreage or output figured in crates, hampers, boxes, or other units as indicated in the table. If the work is of a nature that requires a crew, different members of which perform different tasks, then the average shown is per man based on the entire crew. Length of day is 9 hours, November to February; 10 hours, March to October, unless otherwise stated. Wide variations in output occur between farm and farm, field and field, and season and season, because of 1 7. differences in soil types, climatic conditions, weeds, yields, and other factors influencing the amount of work that a laborer can perform in a given day. More- over, the basis of output is a mature, experienced male worker without reference to use of women, children, and more or less inexperienced help that is sometimes used in connection with certain of the tasks requiring use of seasonal workers. The column headed "available days" reflects (a) limitations set from the period within which the vrork must be performed because of the nature of the task, such as transplanting, thinning, wooding, and cutting, and (b) available days as determined by weather conditions, inclement weather reducing the number of days whon a required task can be performed. The "required number of individuals" is given in terms of workers as noted above in connection with "output per man-day." It is probable that the estimated number of workers required, as recorded in table 5, Will often be too low, for the reason that "peaks" frequently occur, during which an unusually large proportion of the job is done in a very short period. This would naturally require a much greater number of workers than when the work is spread over a longer period, even though the total amount of labor (in man-days) remains the same. TABLE 3 Seasonal Labor Needs — Lake County — by Months and Tasks Required Available Required number of Month Crop and task Size of task Output per man- day man-days days workers* January Carrot seed: Planting 60 acres 0.5 acre 120 14 9 Onion seed: Planting 5 acres 0.3 acre 17 14 2 Parsnip seed: Planting 7.0 acres 0.5 acre 14 14 1 Grapes: Pruning 96 acres t 0.75 acre 128 14 10 Pears: Pruning 781 acrest 0.2 acre 3,905 14 279 Brush disposal 781 acres 5.0 acres 157 14 12 Prunes: Pruning 223 acrest 0.5 acre 446 14 32 Brush burning 223 acres 1" 2.5 acres 90 14 1 Totals 4.877 14 349 man-months February Grapes: Pruning 96 . acres t 0.75 acre 128 18 8 Pears: Pruning 781 acres t 0.2 acre 3,905 18 217 Brush disposal 781 acres "f~ 5.0 acres 157 18 9 Prunes: Pruning 223 acres t 0.5 acre 446 18 25 Brush burning 223 acres t 2.5 acres 90 18 5 Totals 4.726 18 263 man-months March Hops: Pruning, stringing, and training 124 acres T 465 17 28 Grapes: Pruning 48 acres "t 0.75 acre 64 17 4 Pears: Pruning 312 acres t 0.2 acre 1,560 17 92 Brush disposal 312 acres t 5.0 acres 63 17 4 Totals 2.152 17 127 man-months April Hops: Pruning, stringing and II al I 1 X I IK 124 acres 1 / fi C HcOO on Carrot seed: Hoeing j 240 20 12 Onion seed: Hoeing ! i 20 20 1 Parsnip seed: Hoeing < 30 20 2 Totals 755 20 38 man-months May Hops: Pruning, stringing, and training 124 acre*? 465 21 23 Carrots for seed: Hoeing 4 120 21 6 Lettuce seed: Thinning 50 acres 0 . 5 acre 100 21 5 Onion seed: Hoeing 4 4 10 21 1 Table continued on next page. S° • V, • - - .- - ■ ■ ' - ..... ; ■' ; • • • ...» —7 .. i . ■ - •-—^5*— m l ' ,T ' riob' 11 '(ma''' ■' ffls'v ■■ '■ Table 3 continued. Requi red Available Required number of Month Crop and task Size of task Output per man-day man-days days workers* May Parsnip seed: Hoeing • 4 15 21 1 (cont . ) Pears: Blight control 3, 904 acres f 5,205 21 248 Totals 5.915 21 282 man-months June Grain: Harvesting Hay — other than alfalfa: 1 , 387 acres *f" 5.0 acres 278 13 22 (June 15-30) Mowing 2,450 acres 1" 7 -5 acres 327 12 28 (June 1-15) Raking 2,450 acres t 15.0 acres 164 12 14 (June 1-15) Shocking 2,450 acres +" 30.0 acres 82 12 7 (June 1-15) Hops: Pruning, stringing, and training 124 acres 465 25 19 Lettuce seed: Hoeing 50 acres 0.5 acre 100 25 4 Pears: Blight control 3 a 904 acres 5,205 25 209 Totals — _ 6,621 25 265 man-months July Grain: Harvesting 1,387 acrest 5.0 acres 278 13 22 (July 1-15) Eeans — string: Picking 120 tons 250 pounds 960 13 74 (July 15-31) Pears: Blight control 3,904 acres t ft 5,205 26 201 Picking 938 tons t 1.0 ton 938 5 188 (July 25-31) Totals 7.381 26 284 man-months August Hops: Picking 272,333 pounds ll 215 .0 pounds 1,267 9 141 (Aug. 20-31) Drying 179,740 pounds^ 4,000.0 pounds 45 • 5 (Aug. 20-31) Carrots for seed: Cutting by hand 24 acres D.4 acre 60 9 7 (Aug. 20-31) Lettuce seed: Cutting 10 acres j. 33 acre 31 9 4 (Aug. 20-31) Onion seed: Cutting by hand 10 acres 80 13 7 (Aug. 15-31) Parsnip seed: Harvesting 15 acres 3.5 acre 30 13 3 (Aug.- 15-31) Beans — string: Picking (for 93 tt canning) 300 tons 250. pounds 2,400 26 Almonds: Knocking 48,000 pounds 150 pounds 320 26 13 Hulling 24,000 poundst 500 pounds 48 26 2 Pears: Picking 15,008 tons t 1.0 ton 15,008 26 578 Cutting for drying 2,629 tons « 1,375 pounds 3,811 13 294 (Aug. 15-31) Other labor in dry-yard 2,366 tons 1 tf 6,269 13 483 (Aug. 15-31) Prunes: Picking up 509 tons t 1.25 tons 408 9 46 (Aug. 20-31) Dipping and drying 565 tons 469 9 53 (Aug. 20-31) Totals 30.246 26 1.164 man-months Table continued on next page. Ta.hle 3 continued. Month Crop and task Size of task Output per man-day Required man- days Available days Required number of workers* September October November Hops: Picking Drying Baling Carrots for seed: Cutting by hand Threshing Lettuce seed: Cutting Threshing Onion seed: Threshing Parsnip seed: Threshing Beans — string: Ficking (for canning) Almonds: Knocking Hulling Grapes: Picking Pears: Picking Cutting for drying Other labor in dry-yard Prunes: Picking up Dipping and drying Totals Carrots for seed: Cutting by hand- Threshing Lettuce seed: Cutting Threshing Grapes: Picking Pears: Other labor in dry-yard Prunes: Picking up Dipping and drying Walnuts: Picking up Totals Pears: Pruning Brush disposal Walnuts: Picking up Totals 272,333 pounds 179,740 pound's 572 bales i$j 72 acres 58 acres t 30 acres 24 acres t 10 acres 15 acres 180 tons 48,000 pounds 24,000 poundst 346 tons + 2,814 tonst 2,628 tons H 2,365 tons 1,527 tonst 1,696 tons 215.0 pounds 4,000 pounds 12.0 bales 0.4 acre 0.33 acre 0.33 acre 0.5 acre 0.33 acre 250 pounds 150 pounds 500 pounds 1.2 tons 1.0 ton 1,375 oounds tf 1,250 pounds ff 24 acres 38 acres T 10 acres 16 acres t 518 tons f 526 tons H 3,053 tons f 3,393 tons 347 tons t 0.4 acre 0.33 acre 0.33 acre 0.5 acre 1.2 tons 1,250 pounds f? 0.15 ton 468 acres t 468 acres ~i 38 tons j 0.2 acre 5 .0 acres 300 pounds 1,267 45 48 180 176 91 48 40 46 1,440 320 48 289 2,814 3,809 6,269 2,444 1.408 20.782 60 116 31 32 432 1,393 4,885 2,828 2.314 2,340 94 254 2.686 8 8 17 25 25 25 25 12 12 25 25 25 8 25 25 25 25 7 14 7 14 21 21 21 21 21 _23_ 21 21 5 21 159 (Sept. 1-10) 6 (Sept. 1-10) 3 (Sept. 10-30) 4 (Sept. 1-15) 4 (Sept. 1-15) 58 13 2 37 (Sept. 20-30] 113 153 251 306 (Sept. 20-30 3 76 (Sept. 20-50 832 man-months 9 5 3 21 67 233 135 111 (Oct. 1-10) (Oct. 1-20) (Oct. 1-10) (Oct. 1-20) 57 fi man- months 112 5 51 (Nov. 1-7) 128 man-months Table continued on next page. O At; "able 3 continued. Required Available Required number of Month Crop and task Size of task Output per man-day man-days days workers* December Carrot seed: Planting 60 acres 0.5 acre 120 14 9 Onion seed: Planting 5. acres 0.3 acre 17 14 fi 2 Parsnip seed: Planting 8 acres 0.5 acre 16 14 2 Pears: Pruning 781 acres t 0.2 acre 3,905 14 279 Brush disposal 781 acrest 5.0 acres 157 14 12 Prunes: Pruning 224 acrest C.5 acre 448 14 32 Brush burning 224 acrest 2.5 acres 90 14 7 Totals 4,753 14 i 340 man-months * On a monthly basis unless otherwise noted. "("Estimated portion of the job done by seasonal workers. !$ Hops, pruning, stringing, and training, estimated to require 15 man-days per acre distributed through March, April, May and June. <^ Hoeing on these crops estimated to require a total of 3 man-days per acre, two-thirds of the job in April and one -third in May. Q Blight control on pears varies greatly. Averaged about 4 man-days per acre, the total acreage being covered 8 times during the 3 months. II Green weight . ** One-eighth of an acre per man-day, ft In 1935 about 300 men were employed picking beans on 100 acres in August. \ ^Dry-yard labor, other than cutting, estimated as follows: Pears — 26.5 man-hours per fresh ton dried. Prunes — 8.3 man-hours per fresh ton dried. 4 <£ Dry-weight, 200 pounds to the bale. fl*^ These operations estimated to require a total of 4 man-days- per acre. £ 12. TABLE 4 Summary of Seasonal Labor Needs by Months Lake County 1935 Month Required man-days of seasonal labor Available days Required man-months of seasonal labor January 4,877 14 349 February 4,726 18 263 March 2,152 17 127 April 755 20 38 May 5,915 21 282 June 6,621 25 265 July 7,381 26 284 August 30,246 26 1,164 September 20,782 25 832 October 12,091 21 576 November 2,688 21 128 December 4,753 14 340 Total 102,987 4,648 1 0 Notes Notes on Table 2 . — Data concerning "time of need" as shown in this table break down required seasonal labor into the period in which the work is performed in order to permit a subsequent determination of labor needs by months (table 3). Some operations are performed only to a limited extent with seasonal labor. For instance, only about 50 per cent of the labor in harvesting grain is done by seasonal workers. When a job extends over several different months, the propor- tionate amount for each month is shown. The amount of work done each month is based on the cropping system followed during 1935. The allotting of amounts of work is based on findings concerning local farm practices, and required time to "make" a crop resulting from inquiry of producers, and records of carlot shipments, the latter proving helpful in fix- ing dates of planting and of subsequent tasks involved in producing certain crops. Proportionate amounts of output harvested each month were determined from data of local practices with respect to harvesting, and from carlot shipments of perish- able products. Records of truck shipments wore also used when available. Notes on Table 3 . — Table 3 is the condensed summary of labor needs as worked out for Lake County as a result of findings pertinent to 1935. The data are presented by months with the tasks which were performed in each month indicated by both crop and task. The size of the job was calculated from the data appearing in table 1 (acreage and production) and table 2 (task, time of performance, and percentage of work pertinent to a given month) . The output per man-day was cal- culated as indicated in the foreword presenting table 3. The number of required man-days is a result of dividing the size of task by output per man-day. The available days for the different tasks involve two variables. The first is the number of days when field work is possible because of favorable weather conditions. The basis for this column was determined from a study of the monthly weather charts of the United States Weather Bureau for the years 1933, 1934, and 1935. These data indicated available days per month as follows (based on a 26-day work- ing month without allowance for holidays): Month Available days Length of work day Month Available days Length of work day January hours hours 14 9 July 26 10 February 18 9 August 26 10 March 17 10 September 25 10 April 20 10 October 21 10 May 21 10 November 21 9 June 25 10 December 14 9 The second factor influencing the number of available days was the size of the job. If the output was only a few cars, then the number of days was limited to the time needed to get out those cars efficiently. If a field operation had to be performed in a period less than the number of available days in the month, then the specific number of days was noted. These restrictions are shown in par. entheses. For example, in July the picking of pears was limited to the last 7 days of the month. The totals of table 3 show the total required man-days of needed seasonal labor, the available days for field work during the month,' and the necessary number of men (as defined in the opening paragraph of table 3) required on a monthly basis to care for the tasks ordinarily performed by seasonal workers. 14. In an area such as Lake County, involving a variety of annual crops, the findings as set forth in this report are bound to fluctuate materially from year to year, because of the market outlook upon what and how much acreage is planted, and when it is planted; because of variable seasonal conditions affecting yields, time of performing operations, and available days; and because of harvesting oper- ations on certain crops being speeded up to supply a good market, or retarded to avoid a poor one, resulting in marked variations in the need for harvest labor. *