Farm Bureau members commonly pay their guest-workers above minimum wage and provide other benefits, such as health insurance, workman's compensation, as well as travel to and from their home country.

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By the week's end, participants have learned what it means to be an American citizen. They've been inspired by individuals who have overcome challenges. Often times they've also formed long-lasting friendships with peers from across the state.

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Participants take part in a combination of caucuses, presentations and activities, all aimed at deepening their knowledge of American democracy and the free-enterprise system.

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We don't support amnesty. We want secure borders. What we're looking for is a workable guest-worker program. Our current system is broken.

176

The program is very bureaucratic. Commonly, a producer has to contract with an outside consultant in order to hire guest workers, and there's no guarantee the work force will be available when you need employees. Also, the program is seasonal in nature, so it doesn't benefit agricultural operations such as dairies that need labor year-round.

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This is a huge issue for Michigan farmers. Without a workable guest worker program for agriculture, countries like China, which pay extremely low wages, will step in and replace the American farmer. Once that production is gone, it is gone forever.

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