<p>As growers in the Central and San Joaquin Valley, begin to kick off harvest in the Yuma/desert regions of the Western U.S., they can do so with a much needed sigh of relief. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Harvest on leafy greens was slated to start up around mid-November, then moving into broccoli and cauliflower in the proceeding weeks. The main concern as the harvest approached was the delay in processing H-2A applications which fell right in the beginning of the Yuma transition. Growers were worried that, without adequate labor, the harvest schedule would be delayed and that crops could have possibly gone unharvested.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Fortunately, with efforts by Congress, spearheaded by Congressman Sam Farr, Senator Dianne Feinstein and others, the necessary agencies were able to get the ball rolling and the H-2A back log in California and Arizona caused by the government shutdown, appears to be balancing out.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img class="small-cropped-image" src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacySmallCroppedImages/rsz_12011_jason_resnick__4x6_3523.jpg" alt="Gourmet Trading New Asparagus Packaging" />Jason Resnick, Vice President and General Counsel for Western Growers, tells AndNowUKnow, "Workers have been arriving in a timely manner and we don't anticipate any delays as most of our growers are fully operational and ready for a great season. The industry was able to elevate the issue and give it the attention it needed to be quickly resolved in the wake of the government shutdown."</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The 16-day delay created by the government shutdown had anxiety at a high among growers in the region but recent reports note that everything seems to be falling back into place as the season gets underway, Resnick tells us.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we follow the season in the desert regions of California and Arizona.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
