TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF THE DECLINE OF FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL WORKER EMPLOYMENT ON FARM-LABOR COSTS, FOOD PRICES, AND RETURN TO THE FARMER, AN ANALYSIS WAS MADE OF THE 1964-65 CHANGES IN THESE FACTORS FOR SELECTED CALIFORNIA CROPS. TOMATOES, LETTUCE, STRAWBERRIES, CANTALOUPES, CELERY, LEMONS, AND ASPARAGUS, WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR 71 PERCENT OF THE STATE'S TOTAL FOREIGN-WORKER MAN-YEAR INPUT IN AGRICULTURE IN 1964 AND 89 PERCENT IN 1965, WERE INCLUDED IN THIS STUDY. BETWEEN 1964 AND 1965 THE UTILIZATION OF FOREIGN-WORKER EMPLOYMENT DECREASED FROM 7,500 TO 2,100 MAN-YEARS IN TOMATOES, 3,382 TO 59 IN LETTUCE, 3,236 TO 357.5 IN STRAWBERRIES, 766 TO 0 IN CANTALOUPES, 938.8 TO 24.8 IN CELERY, 3,244 TO 63 IN LEMONS, AND FROM ONE-HALF OF ALL WORKERS TO LESS THAN ONE-TENTH IN ASPARAGUS. INCREASES IN WAGE COSTS WERE LESS THAN ADVANCES IN PRICES PAID TO THE GROWERS FOR ALL CROPS EXCEPT CELERY AND LETTUCE. CHANGES IN WAGES, PRODUCTION LABOR COSTS, PRICES PAID TO FARMERS, AND RETAIL PRICES SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT FIELD-LABOR COSTS MAY RISE SUBSTANTIALLY WITHOUT CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN RETAIL PRICES. THE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT MAJOR ADVANCES COULD BE MADE TOWARD IMPROVING THE LIVING STANDARDS OF PERSONS CURRENTLY EMPLOYED IN AGRICULTURE AND IN MAKING AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT MORE ATTRACTIVE TO YOUNG PEOPLE TO ARREST THE MIGRATION FROM RURAL TO URBAN AREAS. THIS DOCUMENT APPEARED IN "FARM LABOR DEVELOPMENTS," APRIL 1966. (WB)