Essential & Undervalued: Migrant Workers in Michigan

TRICIA PHELPS, CEO

As the sun began to set on a beautiful August night, the crew at Interwater Farms walked through the fields harvesting fresh peaches, hanging heavy on the trees. Joann Brown, a fourth generation farmer, employs 30-40 seasonal workers on her family farm each year. Many of these employees are related to one another and travel from Georgia to Northern Michigan every summer to work.

“We cherish their work ethic and friendship,” Brown says, “and we couldn’t do it without them.”

At Interwater Farms, seasonal workers are appreciated like family, but more broadly in our food system, farm laborers—especially migrant and seasonal farm workers—are undervalued. Many face a lack of fair pay, limited access to healthcare, inadequate housing and transportation, as well as frequent acts of violence. This essential community has been fighting against these issues for decades despite their critical role in our food system.

Farming ranks among the top 10 most dangerous jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It requires risks and consequences not everyone is willing to shoulder. Without seasonal and migrant farm workers, there would be an even larger gap in Michigan’s agricultural workforce, and the industry itself—one of the largest in the state—would crumble.

As the second most agriculturally diverse state in the country, Michigan produces approximately 45 different specialty crops with a market of over $100 billion annually. These fruits and vegetables need to be painstakingly, and patiently, hand harvested. Migrant Legal Aid reports there are over 94,000 migrant and seasonal farm workers in the state of Michigan that bring this food to our tables. We depend on farmers daily, but how often do we consider where our food comes from and who grew it?

The COVID-19 pandemic is a timely reminder that we are all interconnected, that the health and safety of one person impacts us all. The same obvious truth is missing in our current food system. The policies in place don’t value the people who feed us. This lack of appreciation—in legal and physical protections, access to critical care, and decent wages—has long been a failing of our system and it’s time to address it.

The spread of this virus highlights blatant issues in the status quo. It identified what and who are truly essential; farm laborers being chief among them. At first, the federal government temporarily suspended all new work visas, but later made special arrangements to process H-2A applications [seasonal guest worker program] after an outcry from farmers. The health of these farm workers became top of mind as ‘stay in place’ orders impacted travel plans and cramped communal living conditions raised concern as well. Across the country, over 2.5 million farm workers were deemed essential and sent to work to feed us during this global health crisis. However, a large majority of them are still fighting for basic human rights and fair pay.

As eaters, we cast a vote for what we value with every bite. If we care about what we put in our bodies and the impact of food on our economy, then we should also recognize the value of the people that put it on our table. Their well-being is inextricably linked to our own.

HOW TO HELP

These organizations are leading the way in providing support to migrant and seasonal farm workers. Learn more about their work and consider donating to support critical services and improving policies for fair treatment of farm workers.

FAIR FOOD PROJECT

A partnership between Migrant Legal aid, food entrepreneurs and retailers in which vendors and employers are jointly monitored for fair and ethical treatment of farmworkers. If farmworkers are unlawfully treated, this whistleblower program responds to the violation by alerting vendors and retailers of the violation.

migrantlegalaid.org

JUSTICE & PEACE ADVOCACY CENTER

The center seeks to educate and raise awareness among the general population, and provide emergency and limited social services to the immigrant, migrant and seasonal worker community. Funds directly support these community members in need.

justiceandpeaceadvocacy.org

UNITED FARM WORKERS

The nation’s first, enduring and largest farm workers union. UFW continues to organize in major agriculture sectors, chiefly California, to protect all farm workers and actively champions national legislative and regulatory reforms.

ufw.org