Mechanization rises with tighter farm labor

By LACEE SHEPARD
Capital News Service
LANSING – As workers at Michigan farms and orchards become more scarce, the need for mechanical harvesting is rising. Much of the produce that used to be hand-harvested is now almost completely harvested by machine, said Ken Nye, a commodity specialist for the Farm Bureau. That includes cherries and grapes. Efforts are underway to increase mechanization in harvesting, Nye said. The efforts have increased in importance in times when labor is scarce.