Morning News: Farm Labor Shortage Feared, Boise Workers Earn Less Than National Average

Boise-Nampa area workers earn 11 percent less than national average – “What’s the local average wage? Workers in the Boise-Nampa metropolitan area earned an average of $19.37 an hour in May 2011. That’s according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics announcement Thursday. The U.S. average was $21.74 an hour.” Idaho Statesman

More Breweries. Less Beer. – “Beer production has been flat in the U.S. for decades — it’s actually a tiny bit lower than it was 30 years ago (find a comprehensive data set here). And the number of big breweries has gone down. But over the same time, the number of small, independent breweries in America has exploded.” NPR

Labor squeeze feared – “The bigger question is whether there will be enough pickers to get all the fruit off the trees. Pickers were short for pears and apples last fall and there’s no signs of tightness easing. “I think people are desperate for labor,” said Dan Fazio, director of the Washington Farm Labor Association in Olympia. “ Capital Press

Malta Mink Farm to Double in Size – “Cassia County’s planning board will allow a Malta mink farm to double in size. A conditional-use permit approved Thursday will allow Smith Furs, owned by Cregg Smith, to expand his confined-animal feeding operation to 4,000 breeding mink and 24,000 pelting mink.” Times-News