The Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) is hoping to turn an ongoing challenge of labor shortages into opportunities at a Produce Labor Conference in December.

Association spokeswoman Marilyn Bay Drake says for example,

peach growers have left fruit on the vine because they couldn’t find people to harvest it. One of the state’s largest producers Sakata Farms stopped growing corn because of labor issues.

So they are inviting big thinkers with ideas to share at their conference in December.

“ We decided that rather than complain about it that we would hold a conference. It will include an overview of where things are legislatively, policy a little bit of history. And then get down to the practical aspects of how do we solve this problem. One of those ways is through technology.”

Growers also want proposals for new innovative ideas to increase labor efficiency. The one day conference is set for Dec. 5 at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds in Aurora. CFVGA anticipates more than 100 grower and other participants. The deadline for labor innovation proposals is October 15th.