It’s like hearing a field of flowers blooming all at once, a concert of life bursting forth from young fingers gliding along violin strings. Romantic guitar notes blend with the sounds of vibrant trumpets blaring a heart-stopping melody with the solid, steady beat of the guitarrón, a fat-boy-sized bass guitar keeping perfect rhythm. “Ay ay ay,” the joyful chorus sings..
South County is weathering an unprecedented labor shortage alongside hundreds of other agricultural communities across California. The pinch is forcing some growers to raise their prices as competition for workers increases, and some have even decided to sell their operation to larger companies.