Can a pay raise fix agriculture industry’s labor crisis in California? Yes and no

All over California, there’s a desperate labor shortage on farms, ranches, processing and packing houses.  But at Christopher Ranch — the nation’s largest producer of fresh garlic and co-founder of this weekend’s Garlic Festival— every job is filled. Even now, at the peak of harvest season, all 600 of its packing and processing positions are claimed. Its simple yet oh-so-complex and controversial remedy: a pay increase. Faced with 50 empty positions last summer, in January it hoisted entry-level wages 18 percent, from $11 to $13 an hour — and applications flooded in, creating a wait list of 150 people.  Another increase is promised next year, to $15 an hour. Remarkably, costs stabilized. And business grew. As California moves towards a higher minimum wage, Christopher Ranch offers a glimpse of the future that could be brighter for both workers and farmers, with a more reliable workforce, bigger paychecks and rising standards of living. Or it could be an isolated success story.  At farms with greater price pressures, less brand loyalty and weaker market leverage, these wages could break budgets — forcing agriculture to abandon a state with unparalleled soil, climate and crops. “We can’t beat everyone on price,” said Ken Christopher, 32, who pitched the idea first to his father, then his grandfather. “But we can beat them on quality, customer service and dedication to corporate social responsibility.”