Sweet corn ‘nightmare’

OLATHE — Olathe Town Hall was near capacity Monday night as local and county leaders converged with farmers to discuss of the fate of the Olathe farm dormitory and sweet corn.

“It has taken more hours than I can tell you to keep up with this bureaucratic nightmare, so anything you can do we appreciate — I know we’ll be fighting over those beds if we do get it to happen because there’s still more workers than the beds can facilitate,” said Olathe Corn Company owner Nancy Fishering.

Olathe’s three major sweet corn farmers support a resolution presented to the town’s board Monday to allow seasonal workers on visas from foreign countries to stay at the taxpayer-funded dormitory north of town. Presently, only permanent residents may use the 72-bed facility. The dorm has been mostly vacant the past three years as farmers complain that only foreign laborers are willing to work the sweet corn harvest.

The six Olathe trustees present Monday expressed support for the resolution. However, no motions were made, as the issue was listed on the agenda as a discussion item only. Town attorney Mindi Piggott said notice would be required to approve a motion.

Tuxedo Corn Company owner John Harold expressed disgust.

“Folks, what you’ve seen just now is the frustration of us growers,” Harold said. “We’ve been going on this for three years: everybody’s lookin,’ nobody’s doin’ — it’s kind of like fishin’: You’re on the boat and nobody throws the line in and they all complain about not catching anything.”

The board scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday at 8 p.m. to address the resolution.

Feb. 21, Montrose City Councilor and Montrose County Housing Authority board member Noelle Hagan presented the resolution to her council. The vote ended in a tie, with councilors Jose Abeyta and Ed Ulibarri voting against it.

Ulibarri was at Monday’s Olathe meeting seeking the trustees’ approval for him to represent the area at the Gunnison Basin Roundtable. The results of that discussion were not available at press time.

During the farm dormitory discussion, Ulibarri shared his reasoning for voting against the resolution. He said he was concerned that he didn’t have a chance to see the resolution before it was addressed Thursday. He was also concerned with the wording.

“I thought it was political, rather than hitting home saying, ‘We need help for the farmers,’ and to sit there and insult our Congress and the president and the administration I thought was out of line,” Ulibarri said.

Harold said he agrees that it’s political, but that this is the only way he knows to solve it.

“The point is that because of a 1949 law, nine years after the dormitory was occupied by migrant labor, it was pointed out that ‘Boys, you’re doing it wrong, you can’t do it any longer’ — and that’s where the rub has come,” Harold said. “But this is the best and I guarantee you our best chance to change that in the political system — no argument.”

Copies of the resolution were made available to everyone in attendance. These and letters of support are being collected for submission to legislators and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to have the 1949 Housing Act changed as part of recent Bush administration efforts to streamline the H-2A program.

They will be sent following the March 4 Delta City Council meeting, as farmers hope to have the changes in place by this year’s harvest.

Ulibarri said he is aware of the problems local farmers face and may write a letter of support.

Olathe Mayor Woody Palmer was not present Monday.  

 For more on this issue, see Sunday’s Daily Press feature (Feb. 24).

Contact Robert Allen via e-mail at roberta@montrosepress.com