Reliable H‑2A Labor Solutions for Southeastern Growers

Compliant, dependable agricultural labor — family-run and built over generations.

Based in Okeechobee, Florida, Hays Harvesting serves fixed-site growers across the Southeast with experienced H‑2A workers, turnkey harvesting services, and a practical, worker-first approach rooted in doing things the right way.

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Family

Owned and operated

Generations of leadership

Okeechobee headquarters

H‑2A

Program specialists

Our Roots

Generations in the field.

Pete Hays built the company from the ground up, growing it one customer at a time. These photos of the original fleet and crews from the mid-1970s still hang in the Hays Harvesting office — a reminder of the work ethic the company was built on.

An original Hays Harvesting truck, mid-1970s

Crew loading harvested crates onto a trailer

Two Hays Harvesting trucks parked in the field

In The Field Today

The same work ethic, generations later.

Hays Harvesting crews and fleet at work today — the same hands-on, worker-first approach the company was built on from day one.

A crate of freshly picked strawberries in the field

Two Hays Harvesting crew buses parked in the field

About Hays Harvesting

Deep agricultural roots. Modern operational thinking.

Hays Harvesting has served fixed-site growers across the Southeast since the late 1970s, built on a foundation of dependable labor solutions and turnkey harvesting services.

The company started with citrus, built by Pete Hays one customer, one grower, at a time. Today, Hays Harvesting stays true to those roots while meeting the realities of a changing industry — focused on making a real difference for growers and the H‑2A workforce through legal, reliable labor under the H‑2A program.

Anne Marie Hays now leads the company alongside her daughter, Lacey Nail, in a partnership built on complementary strengths: Lacey’s accounting background and Anne Marie’s years navigating highly regulated environments, bringing a leadership perspective that’s still rare in an industry where few farm labor contractors are female-led.

“We partner with growers to help them navigate one of the most complex aspects of farming — finding and managing a dependable workforce while remaining compliant with an ever-changing regulatory environment.”

Why Hays

Built for growers who need labor that is dependable, scalable, and professionally managed.

Serving the Southeast for Generations

Hays Harvesting has supported fixed-site growers with dependable agricultural labor and harvesting support across the Southeast for generations.

Family-Run, Female-Led

Led by Anne Marie Hays and Lacey Nail, the company blends generational agricultural knowledge with hands-on leadership and accountability.

Reliable, Seasoned Workforce

Hays recruits, hires, and employs experienced agricultural workers to help growers meet critical harvest windows with a workforce they can count on.

Technology + Efficiency

The team embraces innovation and modern operational tools to improve efficiency, coordination, and communication across every job site.

Worker-Focused Operations

Hays prioritizes treating workers the right way, building strong relationships that support retention, productivity, and quality field performance.

Turnkey Harvesting Solutions

From recruitment through on-the-ground labor execution, Hays delivers end-to-end support tailored to the operational needs of each grower.

Services

Turnkey labor and harvesting support for fixed-site agricultural operations.

Hays Harvesting partners with growers that need a legal, experienced, and efficient workforce — with hands-on support from recruitment through field execution.

Recruitment of experienced agricultural workers

Hiring and employment administration

H‑2A labor solutions

Turnkey harvesting services for fixed‑site growers

Fleet coordination and transportation logistics

Scalable labor planning across the Southeast

Leadership

A mother-daughter team, one commitment to doing it right.

Hays Harvesting is a proud, women-owned business — led today by a mother-daughter partnership carrying that legacy forward.

Hays Harvesting team in the strawberry field

Anne Marie Hays

President

Anne Marie leads Hays Harvesting with a rare combination of business discipline, people-centered leadership, and long-term agricultural perspective. Building on the business her family started, she has grown the company’s reputation for reliability while modernizing operations for today’s labor environment.

Lacey Nail

Vice President

Lacey oversees the logistics and fleet operations that keep crews moving efficiently, bringing an accounting background to the financial side of the business. Her work supports Hays Harvesting’s commitment to dependable service, field readiness, and coordinated labor deployment across grower operations.

Compliance

Compliance & Workplace Notices

Required federal and state notices for our workforce, along with our company policy on prohibited recruitment fees.

No Prohibited Fees Notice

English

Hays Harvesting is committed to ensuring the welfare of all employees and to providing information about workers’ rights under the H‑2A program. It is completely prohibited for an agent, facilitator, recruiter, employer, or other worker to ask workers to make payments (or any other direct or indirect compensation) as a condition of being considered for H‑2A employment.

Prohibited payments include but are not limited to direct or indirect hiring fees, attorney or agent fees, security deposits, gifts, commissions, or fees to maintain employment.

Federal law prohibits the exchange of these types of payments to protect the wellbeing of workers. If any employee, supervisor, or other affiliated individual attempts to charge others for recommending them with Hays Harvesting, it will result in the immediate termination of employment. Hays Harvesting will investigate any report or suspicion of prohibited fee activities and has a legal obligation to report prohibited payments to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Employees may always file a complaint or express concerns safely and confidently without fear of retaliation — in person, by phone, or by email.

Español

Hays Harvesting se compromete a garantizar el bienestar de todos sus empleados y a proporcionar información sobre los derechos de los trabajadores en el marco del programa H‑2A. Queda terminantemente prohibido que cualquier agente, facilitador, reclutador, empleador u otro trabajador solicite a los trabajadores realizar pagos (o cualquier otra compensación directa o indirecta) como condición para ser considerados para un empleo bajo el programa H‑2A.

Entre los pagos prohibidos se incluyen, entre otros: tarifas directas o indirectas de contratación, honorarios de abogados o agentes, depósitos de garantía, regalos, comisiones o cuotas para mantener el empleo.

La ley federal prohíbe el intercambio de este tipo de pagos para proteger el bienestar de los trabajadores. Si algún empleado, supervisor u otra persona vinculada a la empresa intenta cobrar a otros por recomendarlos a Hays Harvesting, esto resultará en la terminación inmediata de su empleo. Hays Harvesting investigará cualquier denuncia o sospecha relacionada con el cobro de tarifas prohibidas y tiene la obligación legal de informar sobre dichos pagos al Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS). Los empleados pueden presentar quejas o expresar sus inquietudes de manera segura y confiable, sin temor a represalias, ya sea en persona, por teléfono o por correo electrónico.

Employee Rights Under the H‑2A Program

English (PDF) Español (PDF)

OSHA Employee Rights

English (PDF) Español (PDF)

If You Have the Right to Work (IER)

English (PDF) Español (PDF)

Migrant & Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA)

View (PDF)

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