MAURICE, Iowa — Lee and Adam Maassen admit they have been more fortunate than many dairy farms when it comes to labor.

“We have been able to hold on to our employees, so we are blessed that way,” Lee says. “We saw this shortage coming, so we raised wages to keep our people here. We wanted them to know we appreciated all they do.”

For businesses in the farm machinery sector, the last several months have brought challenges as they work to find enough labor and materials.

Scott Harris, vice president for Case IH, says the issues have been an obstacle for manufacturing. The supply challenges have come right as more farmers are looking to buy machinery.

NASHVILLE, Ill. — Craig Finke, a southern Illinois dairy and crop farmer, knows first-hand automation can help save money and time related to labor issues.

Finke, a fifth-generation farmer who took over when his father died in 2001, says his automated milking and feeding equipment save him about $40,000 a year in labor costs.

WEST LIBERTY, Iowa — Many businesses are looking for labor, but lately finding workers has been a struggle. This has been accentuated in small rural towns, particularly as the pandemic continues.

“Pre-pandemic, one of our major employers was in a pretty good position,” said Joseph Taylor, executive director of WeLead (West Liberty Economic Area Development). “(Now) they have severely struggled to get back to full strength as far as numbers go. On top of that, even the smaller businesses and restaurant communities are struggling.”

It’s not all about “the wall.” It’s not even all about the border or security. The immigration debate in America is also about agriculture and labor supplies, and even about the pork or dairy or fruits and vegetables that fill the freezer.

“This is a priority issue. It’s very hard to get the job done on the farm if you don’t have the labor,” says Allison Crittenden, a director of congressional relations at the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Some of the workers on Matt Emerick’s farm have a pretty long commute.

They travel 14,000 miles every year from South Africa to Vandalia, Illinois, where they help with planting, harvesting and other tasks. Then they head back home, on another 20-hour flight.

With the spike in commodity prices starting in 2020, ideas of a profitable season have many farmers excited.

When prices were lower, many farmers looked to jobs off the farm for income, and that likely won’t change now.