New Jersey's agriculture business typically has challenges recruiting and maintaining employees for the long-term because it's a seasonal industry.
But at Alstede Farms in Chester, 2021 has been a year like no other when it comes to finding help.
Farms, like other businesses in the Garden State, have been feeling the pain of a labor shortage. Alstede Farms is struggling to fill roles, from cashiers for the retail store or pick-your-own operations, to administrative positions.
Students are filling the labor gap at the 800-acre farm, at least for now.
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"We're going to see a big part of this band-aid ripped off and it's going to hurt," Kurt Alstede, owner and general manager, told New Jersey 101.5. "Once students go back, it's really going to be difficult."