Florida Immigration Legislation Signed Into Action Requiring E-Verify for Employers of 25+ potential ramifications for produce


Florida has enacted legislation (Senate Bill 1718) that requires employers with 25 or more employees to use E-Verify to confirm a new hire is eligible to work in the United States. The requirement takes effect July 1, 2023. By way of background, E-Verify is an internet-based system operated by the federal government that enables employers to determine a new hire’s eligibility to work in the United States. Notably, employers that use E-Verify must still complete a Form I-9 for each new hire.  NWA is working with FFVA to provide additional resources for NWA members who need more information about compliance with the upcoming legislation. If you’d like a copy of FFVA’s reference materials on Senate Bill 1718, contact NWA staff at [email protected]


Continuing Focus on Farming During Mental Health Awareness Month

A recent series of USDA webinars has been focusing on a grant program through NIFA that awards grants to programs addressing farm stress (https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/farm-ranch-stress-assistance-network-frsan).  The output of these grant programs is a network of resources for farmers addressing the mental health toll that work, finance, and general farming stress can add. Click the link below to access the network for the northeast, which also includes good links to partner networks and other regions.

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Decision of the US Supreme Court in National Pork Producers Council Case

The Supreme Court issued the opinion linked below regarding a challenge brought by the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation to California Proposition 12 that in general prohibited the sale in California of whole pork meat derived from breeding pigs (or their immediate offspring) that were “confined in a cruel manner”. 

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International Collaboration on Food Safety is a Top Priority for the FDA

In a new Conversations with Experts, the FDA focuses on the importance of its engagement with international organizations on critical food safety topics. In the conversation, the authors from the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) describe the organizations and the objectives of the FDA’s engagement with each to help strengthen the global food safety system, to ensure safe and fair trade in food and to encourage the harmonization of science-based food safety standards.

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Work smarter, not harder — with a purpose

This week, we're reading this editorial from Joe Watson of IFPA- a friend of the Association, former retailer and National Watermelon Queen Judge.  His perspective on produce retailing, and work in general, gives us a good take on the generational gap, and how the next generation is approaching work.

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