Mushroom farming is hard work. This is no different than any other agricultural segment. To be successful, farmers and their employees must put in many hours to produce quality mushrooms.

A myth exists that mushroom workers toil in poor working conditions and live in substandard housing. The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division enforces three federal laws establishing acceptable labor standards for wages and working conditions that impact agricultural employers.

These labor standards are set forth in the Fair Labor Standards Act (minimum wage, overtime pay, child labor and recordkeeping requirements), the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (vehicle safety, housing safety and health, disclosure of wages and working conditions, farm labor contractor registration and other requirements), and OSHA Field Sanitation (drinking water, toilets and hand-washing for field workers).