H-2A Workers Power Green County Farms | Lexington News

Lexington News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 20, 2026 · 2m

Green County’s farms are booming—thanks to record H-2A visa numbers—but farmers say they’re stuck in a broken system. Once farming 20 acres of tobacco, the Clarks now manage nearly 300, needing more hands than America’s workforce can supply. The decades-old H-2A program, plagued by red tape and delays, leaves farmers scrambling to plant and harvest. Yet for workers like George Mejia, who’s been coming for 21 years, it’s about family—not just labor. With projections showing another record in 2026, farmers are demanding reform: simpler applications, longer visas, and multiyear contracts…