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nance “has led to the decline of the orchard industry.” An orchardist isn’t guaranteed a profit with quality fruit, but there’s a guarantee of NOT making a profit if fhdt isn’t high quality, he pointed out. Most of the county’s young people who are going into agriculture are going into fruit production, Mr. Miller said, adding that fruit production is Rappahannock’s only viable agricultural industry at present.
Reminding the commissioners that it was the supervisors’ intent to allow adult farm labor camps to operate year round, he noted that conditions could be applied to regulate the use.
“Well, now you’re talking compromise,” interjected Commissioner Clark. “I’ll go along with it if you’ll put the proper restrictions on it, of course.”
Mr. Miller suggested just the conditions proposed by the zoning administrator, which would allow the facility to be used 12 months of the year.
Commissioners Fannon and Clark challenged the year-round status. “That would be difficult to police,” said the Jackson District representative, contending that the same laborers here for months would become de facto residents. “If they’re here year round, they’re certainly going to send for their families. In bad weather, there’d be no work . . . It’s a fact of life that migrant workers have a lot of kids,” Commissioner Fannon said, adding that their presence would put a burden on schools and welfare services.
Dr. Krebser suggested that the camp be closed for two months, possibly in January and February. “That would be a reasonable compromise.”
If the camp must close, June and part of July would be better from an orchard management standpoint, said Mr. Sharp. “We get so much work done in the winter months.”
Commissioner Clark still balked. “It’s a sad situation but the orchard business is on the decline.” He supported the comprehensive plan’s goals for encouraging agriculture, “but when it’s encouraged at the expense of everyone else, that’s not right.”
Using tenant housing for migrant workers will accomplish just the opposite of what Commissioners Clark and Fannon are aiming for, Mr. Miller argued. A migrant camp restricted to adult workers discourages transients from becoming year round residents; providing tenant housing where they can bring their families would encourage them to stay, he said.
“One hundred thousand new trees are being planted RIGHT NOW in Flint Hill,” Mr. Sharp countered to the prediction that the apple industry is dying in Rappahannock.
Peter Skowronski, the Sharps’ mechanic who repairs orchard equipment and tools, said that January, February and March are his busiest months because the pruning crews are working constantly. As to bad weather interfering, he told the
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