National Council of Agricultural Employers

06/23/2025

"America’s farmers and ranchers are excited and relieved that this Administration put this Rule out to pasture.”

Read our full press statement about the suspension of the Worker Protection Rule:

(Arlington, VA) The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE), its members, and the agricultural community nationwide are celebrating the suspension of a rule that falsely cast shade on America’s agricultural community.

01/09/2025

The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) announced an addition to the agenda at the Council’s upcoming 61st Annual Meeting. The 61st Annual Meeting will take place February 11 – 13, 2025, at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. Registration is open to NCAE members and members of the larger agricultural community.

“We are excited to announce a special panel focused on the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR),” stated Michael Marsh, NCAE’s President and CEO, “which will include perspectives from growers, expert agricultural economists, and the legal community. Attendees will have an opportunity to unwind the problems with the AEWR and help shape what a better mechanism might look like that helps the Nation’s farm and ranch families succeed instead of shutter.”

Registration, Room Block, Sponsorship, Exhibitor Opportunities & Much More: https://bit.ly/4hBTKuv

Press Statement: https://bit.ly/421tq7E

The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) announced an addition to the agenda at the Council’s upcoming 61st Annual Meeting. The 61st Annual Meeting will take place February 11 – 13, 2025, at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. Registration is open to NCAE members and members of the ...

11/25/2024

Earlier today, a Court in Kentucky granted a partial injunction for a lawsuit filed by National Council of Agricultural EmployersNational Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE), alongside several agricultural associations and individual farmers, to thwart the Department of Labor’s unlawful and unconstitutional Final Rule entitled, “Improving Protections for Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States” (Rule).

“This Thanksgiving week, America’s farm and ranch families are grateful that the Court in Kentucky understood the damaging effects this Rule would have on their farms and ranches, as well as on those members of the public who like to eat,” stated Michael Marsh, NCAE President and CEO.

Read more about this exciting development:

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky has granted a partial injunction for a lawsuit filed by the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE), alongside several agricultural associations and individual farmers, to thwart the Department of Labor’s (Department) unlawful ...

11/04/2024

NCAE's Ag Employer Labor Forum is just ONE MONTH away!

This year's Ag Employer Labor Forum will bigger and better than ever this December 4-6. Join us at the beautiful M Resort in Las Vegas, NV for a spectacular group of speakers, exciting expanded exhibit hall, wonderful wine reception, and so much more!

This year’s Forum features a compelling range of topics on cutting-edge ag labor issues that focus on the future of ag labor. Tech-savvy topics include the use robotics in farming settings as well as the challenges and opportunities that artificial intelligence (AI) present for the agricultural industry.

Attendees will peer into the crystal ball alongside ag economists to learn their forecast for the future of farming. Top industry experts will likewise provide their predictions for farmers facing a new Congress and Presidential Administration.

Take a peek at our tentative agenda and register today--we can't wait to see you there!

https://bit.ly/4ghfdZ0

10/18/2024

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky has set a hearing for a lawsuit filed by the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE), alongside several agricultural associations and individual farmers, to decide the fate of the Department of Labor’s unlawful and unconstitutional "Worker Protection" Rule. After receiving NCAE’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction and Vacatur last night, the Court issued an Order setting the hearing for November 4, 2024, at 9:00 AM ET.

“America’s farm and ranch families are grateful that the Court in Kentucky waste no time in treating this matter seriously,” stated Michael Marsh, NCAE President and CEO.

“NCAE is hopeful the Court in Kentucky will dispense with this rule once and for all so that farmers and ranchers nationwide can get back to what they do best—ensuring that Americans and those around the world have food to enjoy on their tables.”

Read More:

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky has set a hearing for a lawsuit filed by the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE), alongside several agricultural associations and individual farmers, to decide the fate of the Department of Labor’s (Department) unlawful and...

10/09/2024

The “Early Bird” discounted registration price for the National Council of Agricultural Employers’ (NCAE) 2024 Ag Employer Forum will close on Friday, October 11, 2024.

“NCAE has put together a jam-packed and fun-filled agenda for this year’s Annual Ag Employer Labor Forum,” noted Michael Marsh, NCAE President and CEO. “We have offered a discounted “Early Bird” rate for this event for the past several years and we are expecting a sold-out event. The Forum will be held at the beautiful M Resort just outside Las Vegas on December 4-6, 2024, and brings together farmers and ranchers, thought leaders, decision makers, attorneys, government agencies, and agents from across the U.S. on labor issues impacting agriculture.”

“However,” noted Marsh, “attendees will need to register before this Friday to take advantage of the special discounted registration rate.”

Read & Register:

The “Early Bird” discounted registration price for the National Council of Agricultural Employers’ 2024 Ag Employer Forum will close on Friday, October 11, 2024

10/07/2024

Earlier today, the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE), alongside with several of our colleagues, visited USDA to meet and engage with Secretary Tom Vilsack about ongoing labor issues impacting America’s farm and ranch families. This meeting was a continuation of a discussion that began in May of this year with Secretary Vilsack, Acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su, and other agricultural groups also represented at this meeting.

Michael Marsh, NCAE’s President and CEO NCAE, stressed the importance of stopping the misuse of the USDA’s Farm Labor Survey by the Department of Labor. The FLS was never intended to be used as a wage setting mechanism. NCAE believes that this patent misuse of survey data is a key contributor to economic distortions and skyrocketing labor costs for agricultural employers.

09/20/2024

The U.S. District Court in the Western District of Louisiana granted a preliminary injunction that prohibits the Department of Labor from enforcing certain aspects of their wage rule that double labor costs for Louisiana sugarcane farmers, increasing input costs for products nationwide. National Council of Agricultural Employers applauds the Court’s decision granting the injunction against this unlawful regulation.

“NCAE and our members have repeatedly explained to the Department that their regulations make no economic sense,” stated Michael Marsh, NCAE President and CEO. “Frustratingly, those comments have been ignored and we are grateful that the Court in Louisiana acknowledged this lack of consideration America’s farmers and ranchers are due.”

Read:

The U.S. District Court in the Western District of Louisiana granted a preliminary injunction that prohibits the Department of Labor (Department) from enforcing certain aspects of their wage rule that double labor costs for Louisiana sugarcane farmers, increasing input costs for products nationwide....

09/16/2024

The National Council of Agricultural Employers NCAE), alongside several agricultural associations and individual farmers, has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky to protect farm and ranch families across the country from the Department of Labor’s unlawful and unconstitutional Final Rule entitled, “Improving Protections for Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States”.

“Rather than taking heed of the Judge’s wise words and withdraw the Rule in its entirety,” stated Michael Marsh, President and CEO of NCAE, “the Department decided to further complicate matters for farm and ranch families by creating a bifurcated application process at the whim of the Acting Secretary’s pen rather than through true notice-and-comment rulemaking. This is something the Acting Secretary and her Department know they cannot do.”

Read more:

he National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE), alongside several agricultural associations and individual farmers, has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky to protect farm and ranch families across the country from the Department of Labor’s (Depart...

09/04/2024

🎉 Registration for NCAE's Ag Employer Labor Forum is OPEN! Join us December 4-6 at the beautiful M Resort for the premier event for America’s ag employers. Early bird rates are available NOW! Register: for members and non-members. Register: https://bit.ly/3MrcJtm

Each year, the Ag Employer Labor Forum brings together agricultural employers and industry experts to discuss the latest industry news.

08/27/2024

Earlier today, the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to better understand farmworkers’ allegations of coercion by the United Farm Workers (UFW) related to the disbursement of federal grant funds.

“NCAE is calling upon USDA to produce information regarding USDA’s relationship with UFW Foundation and their “contact persons”, the UFW team, related to the Farm and Food Worker Relief grant program,” explained Michael Marsh, President and CEO of NCAE. “Farmworkers’ allegations have surfaced across the country and NCAE wants to understand what USDA has done to protect farmworkers and guard against misuse of taxpayer dollars.”

Read our full press statement here:

The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) today petitioned Acting Department of Labor Secretary Julie Su to amend the regulatory methodology for determining adverse effect wage rates in the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program.

08/26/2024

A federal court in Georgia today issued a preliminary injunction that halts the Department of Labor’s (Department) implementation of a disturbing regulation that would have forced farms to allow temporary foreign agricultural workers to unionize.

“For far too long,” stated Michael Marsh, President and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE), “the Department has implemented rules which unfairly target America’s farm and ranch families who are already battling to stay competitive at home and in the global market. NCAE celebrates this victory.”

Read our full press statement: https://bit.ly/4dAuhyY