I am writing in support of HB 20. I am a farm operator/manager for a 23-acre vegetable operation and corresponding 500+ acre pasture raised pork, beef, chicken and egg operation. We have 20 employees. Our starting rate for local workers is around $17/hour and our starting rate for H2A is $16/hour. It is my belief that farm workers ARE farmers. Any politician claiming to be helping farmers should be helping farm workers, not just farm owners. Paying above-minimum-wage rates is not an unreasonable amount for farm businesses to be investing into quality skilled labor. In my 15 years of experience as a farmer, I have found that the better wages we are able to offer, the better quality workers we can attract and the better retention we can have. I believe that farm workers deserve fair wages that can support them and their households.

Promotores de Salud (also known as CHWs) working in Virginia's agricultural regions support farmworkers and their families through health education, outreach, and navigation. Their work is strengthened when farmworkers experience economic stability and fair labor standards. This bill helps advance those goals by eliminating minimum wage exemptions for farm laborers and certain temporary foreign workers. Ensuring consistent wage protections across sectors supports household stability, improves health outcomes, and reduces barriers that Promotores de Salud regularly encounter in their work. We support this legislation as a measured step toward more equitable wage standards that reflect the essential role agricultural workers play in Virginia’s economy and communities.