Ag Labor in Focus
Migrant workers join Extension educators at Purdue and Michigan State universities and local farmers, who have been speaking about the importance of the working environment farms provide.
In last week's issue, Extension educator Stan Moore said that a good work environment and training are the top two factors that workers in Michigan value in farm labor positions. Likewise, in the Sept. 2 issue, Maureen Kercher, co-owner of Kercher's Sunrise Orchard in Goshen, said farmers generally treat their employees well and questioned why they wouldn't in an era of labor shortage.
Jovani Vazques and Fernando Hernandez work for Indiana Berry and Plant Co., a plant nursery in Plymouth, through the H-2A program. They described their work and discussed what they find attractive about their work environment.
Right now, Vazques and Hernandez are working on cleaning the fields, moving row to row and weeding out any undesirable plants. They are two of four workers in the H-2A program doing so in the Plymouth fields. In December, they will begin cleaning the plants and preparing them for sale.
Hernandez's wife, Sarah, is not a part of the H-2A program because she was born in the U.S., but she began working at Indiana Berry and Plant Co. in 2019 to be with her husband and friends. Her work involves picking, planting and promoting the company.
"I like how everyone makes us feel like family here," she said. Not only do they work together, but they also spend time together in each other's homes and
will have parties together outside of work hours.
The benefits, the work environment and the people they work with "make it a good time," Fernando said through a translator. Sarah and Vazques, who is in his second year of work at Indiana Berry, agreed.
"We love to work in the camp and with plants," Vazques said. "And the pay and benefits are good."
"Everything is good every time we work," Fernando, who has been employed at the plant nursery for five years, said. "I feel comfortable with this company and around the people here."
Sarah also noted the difference in pay in Mexico compared to the U.S.
"We get paid by the hour here," she said. "In Mexico, we get paid by the day."
Vazques and Fernando say the work is harder in Mexico because they are not trained for the work or to use the equipment on farms. At Indiana Berry and Plant Co., they are taught everything they need to know to do their work, and it is easier to find work in the U.S.
"In Mexico, they just give you the work and tell you to do it, and if you don't know how to do something you just have to figure it out yourself," Sarah said. "Here, they show you how to do things, like how to drive a tractor. In Mexico, that's not women's work, so I could never do it, but here I can."
Through the H-2A program, the three are provided with everything they need to live, they said. Sarah described some of the things they are provided with that she is especially thankful for: good housing, internet, and running, hot water, among other things.
The Hernandezes are provided with separate housing for their family, and Vazques is housed with two others in the H-2A program. He says the housing is good and he is happy with his living conditions.
Sarah is also the Indiana member at-large for the East Coast Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Project, which serves as a resource for H-2A and other seasonal workers to make sure their contracts are honored and they are provided with good living and working conditions.
According to Vazques and the Hernandezes, a strict adherence to their contracts is an important factor in creating a good work environment for them.
Sarah says there are a number of people in the H-2A program who report a breach of contract, but that isn't the case for those working at Indiana Berry and Plant Co.
"It is a good program," she said. "Everything that is promised is done."
Vazques says his dream is to be able to one day move back to Mexico and own his own truck, house and property, and to live with all the benefits he has experienced through his work at Indiana Berry and Plant Co.
Sarah was born in the United States and Fernando is working toward getting his citizenship. They met while Sarah was living in Mexico with her family after moving back for a time when she was 9. She moved back to the U.S. when she was 14 and has been here ever since.
She described their housing in Mexico as having no running or hot water, internet or a reliable phone signal. The Hernandezes hope to stay in the United States with their two children and continue working for Indiana Berry and Plant Co. in the future.
For now, though, all three say they are happy with their work and with their company and plan to return in following years.
"Here, everything's good," Vazques said.
The comments from Vazques and the Hernandezes concerning their working environments reflects what Moore described in last week's issue as what farmers should strive to create for their employees: a friendly environment and good training are two top elements people look for in an employer.
As the concentration on ag labor shortages continues, another viewpoint must be considered, and that is of those hired from the local community. Next week's article will feature those from the local environment and their perspective on the issue.