Wholl pick the pears?
It’s been a great year for pear growers, until now. Most area growers are facing a supply shortage: not enough pickers to get the pear crops off the trees. That could mean trouble for one of Southern Oregon’s biggest industries. “If we can’t get the labor we need, this could have a dramatic effect on the economy of the valley,” said Bill Ihle, vice president of corporate affairs for Bear Creek Corp. “There just aren’t enough people out there to pick.” Bear Creek workers Thursday plucked pears from trees and loaded them into leather bags. Dozens of huge boxes, each holding hundreds of pears, stood between the rows. Bear Creek produces about 35,000 of those boxes each season, said Ron Henri, vice president of Bear Creek orchards. It might not have enough workers to finish that before cool, windy September weather begins to injure the pears. “It’s getting worse and worse to get workers,” said Benito Barajas, orchard supervisor. “We’re not getting enough people to get the work done. They h
