Forty minutes west of Macon in Musella, there’s an open-air peach packaging building with muggy air, a slightly sweet smell and an abundance of local produce. Dickey Farms has been growing peaches for 127 years. The farm began in 1897 with the planting of its first peach trees by the great-great-grandfather of Lee Dickey, who is the farm’s current vice president.
The number of H-2A visas for seasonal farmworkers issued each year has more than quadrupled over the past decade. The growth has alarmed labor advocates. Farmers don't love the program, either.