Get involved: Learn more about legislation to end child labor
Video produced by: www.hawriverfilms.com

Agriculture is very dangerous for children. Children working on farms are more likely to die from work-related accidents, and face higher injury and illness rates than adult workers. Each year, over 100 youth die from farm-related injuries in the U.S., and many more are injured. Children who work in fields treated with pesticides are at greater risk of developing neurological and reproductive health problems, as well as cancer.

While industry likes to claim that these jobs help farmworker families, Senator Floyd McKissick (D – Durham, Granville), said: “From the garment factories of New York to the coal mines of West Virginia, America decided a long time ago that child labor was not going to be the solution to bringing people out of poverty. It’s been 75 years, and we’ve never looked back. It’s long past time to close the loopholes and level the playing field for children working in our fields.”

Growing up working on the family farm is an important tradition that should be preserved, but employing young children in hazardous work should not be a tradition any longer. Child labor laws should be the same for every industry. All children in North Carolina deserve a safe, healthy and bright future.

Here’s the 30-second version of this PSA:

The post End Child Labor in NC: A Public Service Announcement appeared first on NC Farmworker Institute.

Holy Week this year is also National Farmworker Awareness Week (March 24-31). It seems like no accident that the week in which we celebrate Jesus’ service and sacrifice for humanity is the same week that we celebrate the extraordinary gifts that farmworkers offer to our communities.

It’s a time when we both remember and look for hope even in the midst of oppression, new life even in the midst of dehumanization.

Farmworkers do some of the hardest, most dangerous work in our society, yet often go unrewarded. We believe that every worker, no matter his or her occupation, should have safe places to live and safe places to work. And we believe that the laws protecting field and poultry workers should be strongly enforced so that no unscrupulous employer will have financial incentives to skimp on worker safety.

To celebrate Holy Week and National Farmworker Awareness Week 2013, we’ve prepared this simple packet of resources. In it, you’ll find Bible passages, prayers and responsive readings, and several theological reflections.

We invite you and your congregation to join us in taking action. Here are several important ways that you can get involved:

• Preach a sermon about farmworkers;
• Include farmworkers in your congregation’s prayers or liturgy;
• Coordinate a Sunday School class or series about farm- workers. We have a free curriculum available online here: www.ncchurches.org/2010/08/hands-of-harvest-hearts-of-justice
• Host a community meal (with farmworkers if possible) and highlight the contributions that farmworkers make. There is a meal packet of ideas and information available online here: http://nfwm.org/2009/06/planning-a-harvest-of-justice
• Show the free documentary film Harvest of Dignity. You can view the film and download the free study guide here: www.ncchurches.org/2012/09/harvest-of-dignity-film-and-study-guide-now-available
• Ask your congregation how they would like to get involved.

During this most holy of weeks, we invite you to join with people of faith across North Carolina and the country as we work together to make sure that no one is excluded from our communities.

Click here to download this free PDF resource (5 Mb).

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013 | miércoles 17 de abril de 2013
8:30am-4:00pm

United Church of Chapel Hill
1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill, NC 27514

We invite you to participate in this annual gathering of agencies, organizations, and activists dedicated to improving the lives of farmworkers and their families. Summit participants share skills, knowledge, and resources through presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities. Farmworker advocates from across the state will have the chance to learn from and update one another on the latest issues affecting North Carolina farmworkers. Approximately 150 people attend the event. Registration is $25 and includes a light breakfast and lunch. We hope to see you there!

Register online! Visit www.tinyurl.com/FWI2013 and complete the form by April 5, 2012.

Sign up to volunteer! Contact Zoe Cummings (zoe.cummings [a] dhhs.nc.gov)
Sponsor the event!  Contact Yazmin García Rico, (yrico13 [a] gmail.com)
Submit a workshop proposal! Contact Magdalena Fernández, (fernandezm [a] ncchca.org)

Le invitamos a participar en esta reunión anual de agencias, organizaciones y activistas dedicados a mejorar las vidas de los trabajadores agrícolas y de sus familias. Los participantes de la cumbre comparten habilidades, conocimientos y recursos a través de sus presentaciones, talleres y oportunidades para desarrollar redes de contactos. Personas de diferentes partes del estado que participan en actividades de defensa a favor de los trabajadores agrícolas tendrán la oportunidad de aprender y ponerse al día sobre los temas de actualidad que afectan a trabajadores agrícolas de Carolina del Norte. Aproximadamente 150 personas asisten al evento. La cuota de inscripción es de $25 e incluye un desayuno y almuerzo ligero. ¡Nos vemos en el evento!

¡Inscríbese para el evento! Visite www.tinyurl.com/FWI2013 y complete el formulario antes del 5 de abril de 2013.

¡Trabaje como voluntario! Contactar a: Zoe Cummings (zoe.cummings [a] dhhs.nc.gov)
¡Patrocine el evento!  Contactar a: Yazmin García Rico (yrico13 [a] gmail.com)
¡Envíe una propuesta para presentar un taller! Contactar a: Magdalena Fernández (fernandezm [a] ncchca.org)

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Farmworkers are some of our nation’s most vital workers, as their labor enables us to enjoy high quality, low-cost, fresh fruits and vegetables all year round. Despite farmworkers’ economic and cultural contributions to the communities where they live and work, they continue to be the some of the lowest paid, least protected, and unhealthiest workers in the United States.

Overview of Farm Work

Agricultural labor includes planting, cultivating, harvesting, and preparing crops for market or storage.

Migrant farmworkers travel from place to place to work in agriculture and move into temporary housing while working; seasonal farmworkers work primarily in agriculture, but live in one community year-round.

Farmworkers are usually employed by farm owners or by “crew leaders,” who serve as intermediaries between growers and workers.

The H2A program allows foreign “guestworkers” to perform seasonal farm work under a temporary work visa designed for agricultural workers in the United States.

“Every time we sit at a table to enjoy the fruits and grain and vegetables from our good earth, remember that they come from the work of men and women and children who have been exploited for generations.”

Cesar Chavez, Co-Founder, United Farm Workers

Demographics of US Farmworkers

• There are two to three million farmworkers in the United States.
• The states with the highest farmworker population are California, Texas, Washington, Florida, Oregon, and North Carolina.
• Nearly 80% of farmworkers are male, and most are younger than 31.
• Most farmworkers are married and/or have children; yet almost six out of 10 farmworkers live apart from their immediate family members.
• Of farmworkers in the United States, 68% were born in Mexico.
• The US Department of Labor reports that 53% of farmworkers nationally are undocumented (working without legal authorization), 25% are US citizens, and 21% are legal permanent residents (green card holders).
• Immigrant farmworkers often leave their home countries to seek a better life for their families. Immigration to the United States has increased notably since the 1994 signing of NAFTA, a free trade agreement that has driven over two million Mexican farmers out of business.

“Agricultural Exceptionalism”

Farmworkers were excluded from nearly all of the major federal labor laws passed in the 1930s. Some of the laws have been amended to include workers on large farms, but exemptions remain in the following laws:

• Labor organizing: Farmworkers were excluded from the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, which protects workers acting collectively to form unions.
• Minimum wage: The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) originally excluded all farmworkers, and was amended in 1978 to mandate minimum wage for workers on large farms only.
• Overtime pay: The FLSA has never been amended to provide overtime for farmworkers, and only a few states have passed laws requiring it.
• Child labor laws: The FLSA allows children as young as 10 to work in farm work under certain conditions and with their parents’ consent. Children must be at least 14 to perform most other types of work, under both federal and state law

Economic Profile

Low wages: Farmworkers’ average annual income is $11,000; for a family it is approximately $16,000. This makes farm work the second lowest paid job in the nation (after domestic labor).

Piece-rate pay: Farmworkers are often paid by the bucket; in some states they earn as little as 40¢ for a bucket of tomatoes or sweet potatoes. At that rate, farmworkers have to pick around two tons of produce (125 buckets) to earn $50.

Few social benefits: Despite their poverty, most farmworkers are not eligible for social services. Less than one percent of all farmworkers use general assistance welfare, only two percent use social security, and fewer than 15% are Medicaid recipients.

Education Profile

Low education levels: The median highest grade of school completed by farmworkers is sixth grade. Thirteen percent of farmworkers have completed fewer than three years of schooling, and 13% have completed high school.

Children in the fields: By the time a migrant child is 12, he/she may work in the fields between 16–18 hours per week, leaving little time for school work.

Unstable schooling: The average migrant child may attend as many as three different schools in one year. For many children it takes roughly three years to advance one grade level.

High drop-out rates: A recent study estimated that drop-out rates among migrant children were well over 50%.

Health Profile

Dangerous work: Agriculture is consistently ranked as one of the three most dangerous occupations in the United States.

Pesticide risks: Farmworkers suffer from the highest rate of toxic chemical injuries and skin disorders of any workers in the country.

Health concerns: Farmworkers face higher incidences than other wage-earners of heat stress, dermatitis, urinary tract infections, parasitic infections, and tuberculosis, as well as significant rates of eye injuries.

Poor health of children: Children of migrant farmworkers have higher rates of pesticide exposure, malnutrition, and dental disease than the general population. Children of migrant farmworkers are also less likely to be fully immunized than other children.

Housing effects: Poor migrant housing conditions lead to increased prevalence of lead poisoning, respiratory illnesses, ear infections and diarrhea.

Limited insurance: Only 10% of farmworkers report having employerprovided health insurance.

Obstacles to health care: Barriers to receiving health care include lack of transportation, limited hours of clinic service, cost of health care, limited or no interpreter service, and frequent relocation in search of farm work. Farmworkers are not protected by sick leave and risk losing their jobs if they miss work.

Farmworkers Organizing For Change

Across the country, farmworkers are organizing for justice and empowerment to improve their conditions. Some organizations leading this work include:

• Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW): a community-based organization in Southwest Florida that has won numerous boycotts against fast food chains and grocery stores to improve wages and working conditions of tomato pickers.         www.ciw-online.org
• Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC): a labor union in Ohio and North Carolina that pioneered three-way labor agreements between workers, growers, and corporate food processors. In September 2004, FLOC won an historic contract with the Mt. Olive Pickle Company and the NC Growers Association. www.floc.com
• Treeplanters & Farmworkers United of the Northwest (PCUN): Oregon’s union for farmworkers, nursery, and reforestation workers, whose goal is to empower farmworkers to understand and take action against systematic exploitation. www.pcun.org
• United Farm Workers (UFW): founded by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. The UFW brought national attention to the farmworker cause in the 1960s and has since won union contracts in states across the country. www.ufw.org

Sources: 1 Public Law 104-299, 1996; 2 Report of the Commission on Agricultural Workers, 1992; 3 Larson, A. Farmworker Enumeration Study, 2000; 4 National Agricultural Workers Survey, US Dept. of Labor, 2005; 5 Hemispheric Social Alliance, 2003; 6 Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, 2003; 7 Rural America, 2002; 8 US Dept. of Labor, Prevailing Wage Surveys (NC), 2002; 9 Migration Education Messages and Outlook (MEMO), 1994; 10 Education Resources Information Center, 1998; 11 National Center for Farmworker Health; 12 Natl. Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, 2004; 13 www.hrw.org/en/node/90125/section/9. Full citations available at www.ncfarmworkers.org. Published by the Farmworker Ministry Committee of the North Carolina Council of Churches, with generous support by The Duke Endowment, 2012. Special assistance provided by the NC Farmworker Health Program and Student Action with Farmworkers.

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Not all immigrants are farmworkers, and not all farmworkers are immigrants. Yet as the following facts show, our agricultural system has always relied on the labor of displaced people that do not have the benefit of full citizenship in this country—whether indentured servants, slaves, sharecroppers, or undocumented immigrants.

Why do people immigrate to do farm work in the United States?

Pull Factors:  Because agriculture is one of the most dangerous and lowest-paying occupations in the United States, the US agricultural industry cannot recruit citizens to fill much-needed jobs. Rather than improve wages and conditions in the fields, the industry recruits workers abroad where there are more laborers, fewer jobs, and much lower wages. Workers are also lured to labor on United States farms by the promise of a better life for themselves or their children: the “American Dream.”

Push Factors:  Many people in developing countries face extreme poverty, lack of jobs, natural disasters, armed conflict, and civil unrest. As economic refugees, many immigrant farmworkers have made the difficult decision to leave their homes and families in search of new possibilities in the United States.

“Before the free trade agreement the harvest was well paid, especially for corn and beans. But then, free trade arrived and prices went down from there. A kilo of corn now costs a peso, and what’s a peso worth? Nothing… less than a quarter.”

Craven County Farmworker, North Carolina

Globalization:  Economies are developing in increasingly interconnected ways and international trade is occurring at unprecedented levels. This process of overlapping markets and free trade is called globalization. International agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) have increased imports to developing countries, but have not eliminated government subsidies for those products; this allows wealthy countries like the United States to sell some products below what they cost to produce. Under NAFTA, the United States increased corn exports to Mexico by 240%, and during certain years was able to sell corn 30% below its cost of production. Unable to compete with subsidized imports, over two million Mexican farmers have lost their jobs since 1994. Many have sought employment in the United States as a means of survival.

Timeline of Farm Labor and Immigration

1600s–1800s: Colonial America & Slavery

White laborers brought from England as indentured servants were guaranteed passage to the colonies in exchange for years of hard labor, usually in the fields. Because they did not provide enough labor to support growing agricultural production for the export market, Africans were brought to the colonies in slave ships where millions died. Forced into slave labor in the fields, they formed the backbone of the US agricultural industry.

Late 1860s–1870s: Reconstruction

The Thirteenth Amendment prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude, but many were forced back into low-wage sharecropping and segregation under Jim Crow Laws from the 1870s well into the 1900s.

1860s–1930s: Immigrants in California

During the 1860s, large-scale farming brought Asian workers to supplement local and Mexican laborers. By 1886, seven out of every eight farmworkers in California were Chinese. When Chinese laborers began to organize, they were replaced by Japanese workers. Filipinos replaced Japanese workers when they in turn began to organize.

1880s: East Coast Migration

Due to changes in agriculture, the end of slavery, immigration policy and fluctuations in employment opportunities, migrant labor became an important part of East Coast agriculture. French Canadians & Italian immigrants worked in the Northeast, and African Americans from the South began to migrate along the East Coast.

1930s: Great Depression, Dust Bowl Years

Over 300,000 Oklahomans, Texans, Arkansans, and Missourians settled in California during the 1930s. Hundreds of thousands of farmworkers went on strike for higher wages in California, South Florida, and New Jersey. Also in the 1930s, national labor laws were passed which excluded farmworkers and domestic workers from child labor protections, overtime pay, minimum wage, and the right to organize.

1941–1964: Importation of Guest Workers

Over 100,000 European prisoners of war labored on farms in the Southeast. Laborers from the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Barbados worked in sugarcane, citrus, and vegetable production in Florida and on the East Coast. Italian farmworkers were replaced by Puerto Ricans in the Northeast. Under the Bracero “Strong Arm” Program, Mexican farmworkers were imported by the federal government for work on farms and railroads to supplement wartime labor shortages. The Bracero Program was terminated under controversy in 1964, but the H2A Guestworker Program continues today, currently recruiting over 20,000 workers each year for employment in agriculture.

1970s–1990s: New Immigrants

As African Americans moved into other industries, immigrants migrated towards jobs in agriculture. Haitians began arriving in Florida during the 1970s, to be replaced in the 1980s by workers from Mexico and Central America. The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) granted residency to over three million undocumented immigrants, about half of them farmworkers. Many left farm work and were replaced by a new wave of undocumented workers. H2A workers were denied permanent residency under IRCA though many had been coming to the United States legally for as many as 20 years.

1994: Nafta Years

NAFTA was signed, and two million Mexican agricultural jobs were lost due to heavily subsidized United States farm products imported to Mexico. This constituted a new factor pushing Mexican immigrants to the United States.

Today

Over 50% of immigrant farmworkers nationwide are not protected by legal documents. Close to 90% of farmworkers are Spanish-speakers, the vast majority born in Mexico. More indigenous workers from rural Mexico and Central America are arriving, as well as guestworkers from Asia.

Myths about Farmworkers and Immigration

Myth: Immigrant farmworkers come to the United States to get welfare.

Fact: Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, and most other public benefits. Even though farmworker families in the United States only earn around $16,000 per year and over 30% live in poverty, less than 10% use food stamps and under one percent use general assistance welfare.

Myth: Immigrant farmworkers do not pay taxes.

Fact: Immigrant farmworkers pay the same sales, real estate, and consumer taxes as all United States residents. The US Social Security Administration has estimated that three out of four undocumented immigrants pay payroll taxes, and that they contribute six to seven billion dollars in Social Security funds that they are not able to claim. During their lifetime, immigrants will pay an average of $80,000 more per capita in taxes than they will use in government services.

A Call to Reform

Many farmworkers, immigrant workers, and advocates have called for the following:

• A path to citizenship for immigrant workers,
• Reunification for families separated by international borders, and
• The right to advocate for improved wages and working conditions.

From slavery to the present day, our agricultural system has consistently relied upon the labor of displaced people who lack political power, labor protections, voting rights, and the full benefits of citizenship. In addition, they have been separated from loved ones by an increasingly militarized US-Mexico border. Farmworkers still confront these hurdles today.

Sources: 1 McCurdy, S. et al, American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 2003; 2 US Dept. of Agriculture, 2004; 3 Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, 2003; 4 Rothenberg, D. 1998; 5 Hahamovitch, C. 1997; 6 Mink, G. & O’Connor, A. eds., 2004; 7 National Farm Worker Ministry, 2006; 8 US Dept. of Labor National Agricultural Workers Survey, 2005; 9 Porter, E. New York Times, 2005; 10 National Council of La Raza, 2006; 11 Porter, E. New York Times, 2006; 12 US Dept. of Labor. Full citations available at www.ncfarmworkers.org. Published by the Farmworker Ministry Committee of the North Carolina Council of Churches, with generous support by The Duke Endowment, 2012. Special assistance provided by the NC Farmworker Health Program and Student Action with Farmworkers.

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Farm labor ranks as one of the top three most dangerous occupations in the United States. In addition to hazards in the fields, farmworkers and their families face unique burdens on their physical and mental health. North Carolina’s leading industry is agriculture, yet farmworkers are among the most underserved residents in the state.

Occupational Risks

Injuries on the Job: Injuries in farm work commonly result from repetitive movements and stooping with few breaks, operating dangerous equipment and carrying heavy loads. Farmworkers suffer from high levels of heat stress, musculoskeletal pain and respiratory illness. At least one in four farmworkers report having been injured on the job in their lifetime,1 and the fatality rate for farmworkers in NC is higher than the national average.2

Chemical and Nicotine Exposure: Farmworkers endure the highest rate of toxic chemical injuries and skin disorders of any workers in the country.3 Nausea, vomiting, cramping and itchy/burning eyes are known short-term effects of acute pesticide poisoning while longterm health effects of pesticide exposure include cancer, neurological disorders, miscarriage, memory loss, and depression.4 Skin conditions such as dermatitis are not only linked to pesticide exposure but to the handling of other chemical agents and plants. Nationwide, nearly half of farmworkers report having skin rashes.5 Green tobacco sickness, or nicotine poisoning through the skin, is experienced at least once in a growing season by 24% of tobacco workers.6 In just one day, workers can absorb the amount of nicotine found in 36 cigarettes.7

Extreme Conditions: Farmworkers often labor in adverse weather conditions, including extreme temperatures, rain, and the hot sun.8 Nationwide, environmental heat is responsible for claiming the lives of 423 workers between 1992-2006; in NC, heat stroke killed seven farmworkers within a fiveyear period.9,10

Poor Field Sanitation: Employers who have ten or fewer workers are not required by law to provide access to toilets and clean water during the long work day, and some employers ignore existing field sanitation regulations.8 Workers have resorted to hand-washing and drinking water from irrigation ditches and ponds containing run-off from pesticide-ridden fields when there is no other water source.8

Substandard Housing: A lack of clean facilities for food preparation, bathing after work, and washing laundry, plus a susceptibility to pesticide drift from nearby fields, exposes farmworker families to the “take-home” affect of pesticides.4 Researchers found increased levels of pesticides in NC farmworker children compared with the general population.4 Lack of clean water is the likely cause of very high rates of parasites and gastrointestinal infections among farmworker families.11 Overcrowded housing is common and increases the risk of infectious diseases and other health problems.8,12

“Farmworkers feed the world. I think if everybody knows the importance of farmworkers they will want to keep them healthy.”

Guillermo Noguera, Health Outreach Coordinator, Columbus County, NC

General Health Issues

Chronic Illness: Farmworkers suffer from higher blood pressure compared with the general public, especially for men and women aged 20-44.13 This puts them at increased risk for heart disease and diabetes.5

Food Insecurity: Nearly five out of ten farmworker households in NC cannot afford enough food for their families.14

Women’s Health: Nationwide, less than half of pregnant women in farmworker families interviewed in 2000 had received health care during their first trimester.15

Childrens’ Health: 53% of children in migrant farmworker families in Eastern North Carolina have an unmet medical need, and the need is proportionally higher for preschool aged children.16

Infectious Diseases: Nationally, farmworkers face six times the risk of other groups of contracting tuberculosis. 17 The high incidences of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases in farmworkers are attributed by some to isolation, poverty, and limited knowledge about how a disease is transmitted.5

Oral Health: Dental problems present a serious unmet health need for farmworkers and their children. Nearly one-third of NC farmworkers in a study sample have missing and/or fractured teeth, but only one in five had seen a dentist within the past year.18

Mental health: Nationally, 40% of farmworkers are depressed and 30% experience anxiety.19 Causes of strain on mental health include isolation, limited social support, separation from family members, job and financial stress, poor housing and unhealthy working environments.

Barriers to Care

Of the more than 150,000 farmworkers in the state, less than 20% receive health care.12, 20 The health needs of the state’s farmworker families persist due in part to several barriers, most of which are non-financial. 20% of farmworkers in Eastern NC lack information about where to go for health care.16

Frequent mobility: About one-third of farmworkers change residence over the summer, moving within and out of the state for employment.21 Mobility is a barrier to receiving long-term care and time-sensitive health services such as prenatal care for women and treatment for chronic illness.

Transportation: In Eastern NC, 80% of farmworker families with children lack transportation.16 Many do not have a driver’s license or car insurance and are often dependent on their employer to drive them to medical facilities.22

Language: The majority of NC farmworkers are Spanish-speaking (94%),12 and the primary language for at least 10-15% of workers in NC is an indigenous language.5 Few health delivery sites in NC have adequate Spanish language resources, let alone the capacity for other languages.18

Insurance: 85% of farmworkers in the U.S. have no health insurance, and nine out of ten children in farmworker families are uninsured.15 The majority of these workers do not qualify for social services because of immigration status, even though many live significantly below the federal poverty line.5

Workers’ compensation: The majority of NC farmworkers are not covered by workers’ compensation. Only agricultural employers that hire H2-A workers or more than ten employees are required to provide the coverage.

Fear: Anti-immigrant sentiment may prevent workers from getting treatment for illness or injury, necessary follow-up attention, or routine health care.

Culture: Cultural beliefs and perceptions of the U.S. health care system might cause a delay in farmworkers seeking medical care and some discrepancies in types of treatment.5

“Many farmworkers come for the first time, and don’t know there is a clinic, don’t know there is a health outreach worker who can help them…It’s very important, not just for one person but for the whole community.”

Margarita, mother and farmworker in Oxford, NC

Sources: 1 Mines, R., et al, 2001; 2 US Dept of Ag, 1999; 3 Natl Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, 2004; 4 McCauley, L. et al, 2006; 5 Arcury,T. & Quandt, S., 2007; 6 Arcury, T. et al, 2001; 7 Hipke, M.E., 1993; 8 National Center for Farmworker Health, n.d.; 9 MMWR, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2008; 10 Mirabelli, M.C. & Richardson, D.B., 2005; 11 Cielselki, S.D. et al, 1992; 12 Triantafillou, S.A., 2003; 13 Villarejo, D. et al, 2000; 14 Quandt, S. et al, 2006; 15 Rosenbaum, S. & Shin, P., 2005; 16 Weathers, A.. et al, 2004; 17 MMWR, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 1992; 18 Quandt, S.A. et al, 2007; 19 Hovey, J.D. & Magaña, G.G., 2000; 20 Larson, A., 2000; 21 Quandt, S.A. et al, 2002; 22 National Agricultural Workers Survey 2001-2002, US Dept of Labor Full citations available at www.ncfarmworkers.org. Published by the NC Farmworker Institute with funds from the Duke Endowment, 2008

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Farmworkers play a vital role in cultivating the food we eat every day, and North carolina has one of the largest farmworker populations in the nation. Even though 85% of our fresh fruits and vegetables are harvested by hand, farmworkers remain largely invisible.

Overview of Farm Work

• Agricultural labor includes planting, cultivating, harvesting, and preparing crops for market or storage.
• Migrant farmworkers travel from place to place to work in agriculture and move into temporary housing while working; seasonal farmworkers work primarily in agriculture, but live in one community year-round.
• Farmworkers are usually employed by farm owners or by “crew leaders,” who serve as intermediaries between growers and workers.
• The H2A program allows foreign “guestworkers” to perform seasonal farm work under a temporary work visa designed for agricultural workers in the United States.

Demographics of North Carolina Farmworkers

• North Carolina ranks sixth in the nation in the number of migrant farmworkers.
• There are approximately 150,000 farmworkers and their dependents in North Carolina each growing season, but this estimate is considered low. In the United States there are two to three million farmworkers.
• Even though the overall number of farmworkers in North Carolina has decreased over the last 20 years, the number that migrate has nearly doubled.
• Ninety-four percent of migrant farmworkers in North Carolina are native Spanish speakers.
• Nationally, most farmworkers are unaccompanied males whose families still live in their home countries.
• The US Department of Labor reports that 53% of farmworkers nationally are undocumented (working without legal authorization), 25% are US citizens, and 21% are legal permanent residents (green card holders).

Farmworkers’ Impact on North Carolina

Agriculture, including food, fiber, and forestry, contributes over $69.6 billion annually to North Carolina’s economy and represents almost one-fifth of the state’s income.

Each farmworker’s labor contributes over $12,000 in profits to North Carolina’s economy annually.

Major North Carolina crops requiring hand labor include: tobacco, Christmas trees, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, apples, bell peppers, and other fruits and vegetables. Many farmworkers also work in greenhouses and nurseries.

Sample Workday For an NC Tobacco Worker:

5:00 AM: Get dressed in the dark. Eat a quick cold breakfast in your trailer.

5:45 AM: Board the van that will take you to the fields. You’re not sure where you’re going, and you don’t know the way.

6:00 AM: Put on a garbage bag with holes for your head and arms to shield you from the nicotine on the tobacco leaves. You’ve heard that workers at other farms get a yellow raincoat, but not here. Begin picking as fast as you can. If you don’t pick fast enough, you may not get a break.

9:00 AM: You get a break for 5–10 minutes to take off your plastic bag and drink some water from the cooler in the van. The sun is already blazing, and there is no shade.

12:00 PM: Because you’re far away from the trailer, you’re told to eat lunch in the fields. There’s no soap to wash the pesticides and nicotine off your hands, only water. You only have a half hour.

4:00 PM: You finally get your second and last water break, only for five minutes. Depending on the stage of the harvest, you might continue to work for three or four more hours in the sun.

7:00 PM: You’re driven back to your trailer where you take off your pesticide-covered clothing and shoes. Exhausted, you and your roommates take turns showering, cooking dinner and preparing lunch for the next day. You wait for your turn to use the cell phone you share with your roommates to call your family back home.

Economic Profile

Poverty: Nationally, farmworkers’ average annual income is $11,000; for a family it is approximately $16,000. Farmworkers on the East Coast earn about 35% less than the national average.

Hard work, low pay: Farmworkers are paid nearly 50% less per week than other wage and salary workers. The percent of farmworker families living in poverty is nearly double that of other working families in the US.

Few wage protections: Most farmworkers are exempt from minimum wage laws, and all are exempt from overtime provisions, despite long workdays during peak harvest.

Few benefits: Despite pervasive poverty, less than one percent of farmworkers collect general assistance welfare nationwide. Only 10% of farmworkers report having health insurance through an employer health plan. Fewer than four out of 10 workers interviewed said that they would receive unemployment benefits if out of work.

Hunger: Nearly five out of 10 farmworker households in North Carolina reported not being able to afford enough food to feed their families.

Health Profile

Poor and crowded housing: Research suggests that the health of North Carolina farmworker families is at risk due to substandard housing. State regulations require only one wash tub for every 30 workers, one shower for every 10 workers, one toilet for every 15 workers, and do not require telephone access in case of emergency. Seven out of 10 farmworkers on the East Coast live in crowded conditions. Such housing conditions put people at risk of the spread of infectious disease such as tuberculosis, as well as parasitic infections and gastrointestinal illness.

Pesticide exposure: Up to 44% of farmworker families live in housing directly adjacent to agricultural fields, increasing likelihood of pesticide exposure. A 2006 study in Eastern North Carolina showed that most farmworker children are routinely exposed to pesticides.

Illness and Injury: Farmworkers experience high incidences of heat illness, green tobacco sickness (nicotine poisoning), musculoskeletal pain, eye and limb injuries from hazardous equipment, and chronic disease.

Limited Workers’ compensation: In North Carolina, very few farmworkers are covered by workers’ compensation. Only farmers employing 10 or more year-round workers or any H2A worker are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance.

Limited access to care: Barriers to receiving health care include lack of transportation, limited hours of clinic operation, cost of health care, limited interpreter services, and frequent relocation in order to seek farm work.

Farmworkers Organize

In 2004, a historic labor agreement was signed between the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), the North Carolina Growers Association, and the Mt. Olive Pickle Company, unionizing H2A guestworkers for the first time in the nation. The contract includes sick pay, hiring security, and a grievance procedure.

Sources: 1 Olivieri, VJ. US Dept. of Ag., 1993; 2 Public Law 104-299, 1996; 3 Larson, A. Farmworker Enumeration Study, 2000; 4 Report of the Commission on Agricultural Workers, 1992; 5 NC Employment Security Commission, 2005; 6 National Agricultural Workers Survey, US Dept. of Labor, 2005; 7 www.ag-econ.ncsu.edu/faculty/walden/ncagsz2011.pdf; 8 Sutter, S. NC State University, 1988; 9 Ward, L. East Coast Analysis of NAWS, 1998; 10 www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err60/err60.pdf; 11 US Dept. of Labor, Prevailing Wage Surveys, 2002; 12 Early, J. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 2006; 13 NC Migrant Housing Act, 1989; 14 Housing Assistance Council, 2001; 15 Arcury, T. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 2006; 16 National Center for Farmworker Health; 17 NC General Statute 97-13b; 18 WRAL, 2005. Full citations available at www.ncfarmworkers.org. Published by the Farmworker Ministry Committee of the North Carolina Council of Churches, with generous support by The Duke Endowment, 2012. Special assistance provided by Legal Aid of NC—Farmworker Unit, the NC Farmworker Health Program, and Student Action with Farmworkers.

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Agriculture serves as the economic backbone for North Carolina, and farmworkers’ hand labor is needed to produce crops that bring in billions of dollars to the state’s economy each year. Despite this fact, farmworkers remain one of the state’s most economically disadvantaged and unprotected group of laborers.

Farmworkers are critical to North Carolina’s agriculture:

• Agriculture is North Carolina’s leading industry, including food, fiber and forestry, contributing over $69.6 billion annually and accounting for nearly one-fifth of the state’s income.
• North Carolina has a diverse agricultural economy, with 53,000 farmers growing over 80 different crops.
• Eighty-five percent of fresh fruits and vegetables produced in the United States, including those in North Carolina, are harvested by hand.
• Over 150,000 farmworkers and their dependents labor each year in North Carolina in crops including tobacco, greenhouse and nursery, Christmas trees, vegetables, and fruits.
• Together these crops bring in more than $2.4 billion in sales to North Carolina’s economy. Farmers’ reliance on hired labor, especially in labor-intensive crops, is steadily increasing, as farm owners and their family members seek other employment.
• With each agricultural season, farmworkers’ presence increases the overall economy in the regions in which they work and boosts the number of jobs available to local residents.

Farmworkers face low wages and few protections:

Poverty: Farmworkers’ average annual income is $11,000, making them the second lowest paid workforce in the nation. Farmworkers living in East Coast states such as North Carolina earn about 35% less than this national average.

Wage Discrimination: Farmworkers are paid nearly 50% less per week than other wage and salary workers. The percent of farmworker families living in poverty is nearly double that of other working families in the US.

Food Insecurity: According to a 2006 study, nearly five out of 10 farmworker households in North Carolina reported not being able to afford enough food to feed their families.

Hazardous Work: Agriculture is consistently ranked one of the three most dangerous occupations in the United States. Despite this, farmworkers are not protected by the same safety laws that protect workers in other industries. Pesticide poisoning, heat illness, musculoskeletal and eye damage, respiratory illness, and injuries resulting from operating dangerous equipment are frequent occupational health concerns experienced by farmworkers.

Child Labor: Labor laws allow children as young as 10 to work in farm work under certain conditions and with their parents’ consent. Children must be at least 14 to perform most other types of work, under both federal and state law.

Limited Workers’ Compensation: In North Carolina most growers are exempt from laws requiring Workers’ Compensation for farmworkers who are injured on the job.

Few Workers’ Rights: There is no protection from employer retaliation under North Carolina and federal law for farmworkers to unionize, work overtime, or take sick leave. Farmworkers who are fired from their jobs have fewer options to seek damages than workers in other sectors.

Hand-Harvested Agriculture in NC

Included below are statistics highlighting the state’s major hand-harvested agricultural crops, seasons, number of workers during peak harvest, and pay rates.

Farmworkers are typically paid hourly or by the bucket (5/8 bushel) of fruit or vegetable that they pick.

Did you know that in North Carolina a farmworker needs to pick and haul 125 buckets of sweet potatoes (two tons) to make $50?

The post Farmworkers’ Vital Contribution to North Carolina’s Economy appeared first on NC Farmworker Institute.

There are many ways that congregations can get involved in the lives of farmworkers. Some models for getting started are outlined below.

Ministry with farmworkers remains controversial today because:

• Many (but not all) farmworkers are undocumented immigrants.
• Discussions about labor conditions or wages often quickly become discussions about immigration.
• Many growers are facing shrinking profits, with some families losing their farms to development, foreclosure, or other economic factors. In this context, there is much resistance to the idea that farmworkers should earn higher wages or have more rights on the job.
• Going back to the legal institution of slavery in the 1800s, there is a deeply ingrained societal norm that farmworkers should be treated differently than other workers and don’t deserve better conditions. This is reflected today in the belief that if people just work hard enough, they will be able to get better jobs. It can also be seen in attitudes by some growers, policymakers, and others who believe that the status quo is acceptable.

Despite or perhaps even because of these challenges, we as Christians should be particularly interested in working to create a society that adequately values farmworker contributions and welcomes immigrant workers into our communities.

Develop a Process

As you consider how to introduce farmworker issues into your congregational context, it can be helpful to outline the whole process you hope to go through with your congregation before you begin.

Prepare

• Pray.
• Clarify your goals.
• Articulate your own feelings and opinions on this topic.
• Meet with farmworkers and people who work with farmworkers.
• Study the issues. Use our resource guide to get started.
• Think carefully about the people in your congregation. Meet with those that have a direct connection to farmworkers (e.g., growers or those that grew up working in the fields).
• Are there some who would likely be supportive? Are there others who might not be?
• Decide on a program—which model will your congregation utilize?

Implement

• Do everything you can to create a safe space for everyone.
• Model respectful dialogue.
• Publicize the program.
• Be patient. This is difficult work.
• Use the resources of your denomination and local organizations.

Follow-Up

• Remember that this is a process. You will probably encounter new and different questions as you go.
• Develop appropriate next steps. This could be further study, a service opportunity, an outreach project, a delegation with farmworkers, or supporting an advocacy campaign.
• Summarize and celebrate your conversations. Be honest about areas of disagreement and highlight blessings discovered along the way.

Perhaps the greatest challenge is helping a congregation begin to see farmworkers as created in God’s image and thus full members of our community. In theological terms, we might use the language of “strangers no longer” and “brothers and sisters in Christ.”

Explore Common Misunderstandings

We’ve found that most of the controversial conversations about farmworkers are based on myths or misunderstandings. Many of these myths can fracture communities and pit one group against another. You may want to explore these in your congregational discussions as a way of moving members to a better understanding of our farmworker neighbors.

Faith and Politics

Myth: Christianity is about the spiritual, not the political. We shouldn’t talk about wages, racism, immigration, or other political issues in church.

Fact: Jesus was a very political figure in his time, and at least some in the Church have always followed his lead in ministering with those who society attempts to marginalize. Christians should speak up and get involved when it comes to issues that are central to biblical teaching, like caring for the poor and welcoming the stranger.

Immigration Status

Myth: Undocumented farmworkers could immigrate to the US legally if they wanted.

Fact: Under our current immigration system, there is no path available for the majority of poor farmworkers to apply for legal residency or work status. A very small percentage (less than 10%) of NC growers use the guestworker (H2A) temporary work visa program, but there are no visas for “unskilled,” “essential” workers who fill year-round jobs. Many undocumented immigrants would rather have a legal status in the US, but lack a way to gain that documentation.

Myth: If farmworkers are undocumented, then they do not have any rights.

Fact: All workers, regardless of immigration status, have basic rights on the job. These rights should be protected if for no other reason than when they are undermined it offers a competitive economic advantage to employers who purposefully hire a vulnerable workforce over those growers that follow the law. Everyone deserves dignity on the job, no matter their occupation or country of origin.

Economic Factors

Myth: Immigrant farmworkers take jobs from US workers and get free housing and benefits.

Fact: The small percentage of growers who use the guestworker (H2A) program are required to pay workers above minimum wage and provide free temporary housing. The majority of farmworkers work more than full-time for below poverty wages and no benefits, and are not protected by health and safety laws protecting all other workers in the US. Many farmworkers that pick our fresh fruits and vegetables cannot afford to feed their own families.

National Origin

Myth: Conditions here are better than in farmworkers’ home countries. They shouldn’t complain.

Fact: Many immigrant farmworkers have better housing, extended community and family, and were once farm owners in their country of origin. However, because of lack of jobs and opportunity, economic necessity forces some people to migrate in search of work. It’s a tremendous sacrifice to leave one’s family, live isolated from others, and go years without seeing your children in order to provide for them.

Getting Started

Here are some concrete ideas for how to help your congregation get involved with farmworkers:

• Sponsor a congregational meal that highlights farmworkers’ contributions to our food system.
• Invite small groups to participate in a Bible study focused on farmworkers.
• Host a knowledgeable speaker who works with farmworkers or invite farmworkers themselves to share their first-hand experiences.
• Participate in a service project such as a bilingual book drive or long-sleeve shirt drive to benefit farmworkers and their families.
• Take up donations to support the NC Migrant Emergency Fund or an organization supporting farmworkers in your area.
• Include farmworkers in pastoral prayers and other parts of the worship service.
• Preach a sermon about farmworkers.

Published by the National Farm Worker Ministry, North Carolina Council of Churches, and Student Action with Farmworkers, with generous support by The Duke Endowment, 2012.

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Click here to download this factsheet

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There is a wide variety of resources available to aid you and your congregation in exploring how your faith relates to your relationship with farmworkers.

Farmworker Factsheets

These two-page factsheets provide up-to-date statistics, graphs, and dates about current farmworker demographics, economic contributions, immigration-related issues, and health concerns. Free hard copies are available in English and Spanish.

• Facts about North Carolina Farmworkers
• Farmworkers’ Vital Contribution to North Carolina’s Economy
• Farmworkers and Immigration
• North Carolina Farmworker Health Facts
• United States Farmworker Factsheet

Curricula for Group Study

• Hands of Harvest, Hearts of Justice: North Carolina farmworker issues in a biblical context (a curriculum for faith communities)
• Becoming the Church Together: Immigration, the Bible, and our New Neighbors
• For You Were Once a Stranger: Immigration in the U.S. through the Lens of Faith

Speakers

If you would be interested in having someone come to speak to your congregation, please fill out the speaker request form on Student Action with Farmworkers’ website.

Short Films and Documentary Work

Harvest of Dignity (2011)

By Minnow Media in collaboration with the Farmworker Advocacy Network. Revisiting Edward R. Murrow’s Harvest of Shame (1960) a half century later, Harvest of Dignity focuses on the lives and work of farmworkers in North Carolina, providing an in-depth portrait of the people who harvest our food today. Study guide available online.

Harvest of Shame (1960)

By Edward R. Murrow and CBS News. Harvest of Shame was an influential television documentary presented on CBS by broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow that showed the US public the plight of migrant agricultural workers along the East Coast.

Our Forgotten Neighbors (2011)

By the Farmworker Advocacy Network and the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. Our Forgotten Neighbors describes the major issues that farmworkers face in North Carolina and the work of the Farmworker Advocacy Network with a focus on child labor in the fields and how faith communities are involved with farmworker advocacy.

Student Action with Farmworkers’ Documentary Projects

Student Action with Farmworkers has made selections from their student oral history and photography projects available online. Project themes include farmworkers’ memories of home, education, and work.

The Costs & Joys of Discipleship: Forty Years of the National Farm Worker Ministry (2011)

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the National Farm Worker Ministry produced a short documentary project from interviews with people of faith who have been involved with the farmworker movement over the last several decades. Discussion guide available online.

Books and Other Publications

Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible (2008) by M. Daniel Caroll R.

Christians at the Border provides biblical and ethical guidance for readers who are looking for a Christian perspective on immigration. As both Guatemalan and American, the author has immersed himself in this issue and is uniquely qualified to write about it. Drawing on key biblical ideas, he speaks to both the immigrant culture and the host culture, arguing that both sides have much to learn about the debate.

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal (2001) by Eric Schlosser

Fast Food Nation tells the story of the US and the world’s infatuation with fast food, from its origins in 1950s southern California to the global triumph of a handful of burger and fried chicken chains. Schlosser visits the labs where scientists re-create the smell and taste of everything—from cooked meat to fresh strawberries; talks to the workers with some of the worst safety records in the world; explains exactly where the meat comes from and just why the fries taste so good; and looks at the way the fast food industry is transforming not only our diet but our landscape, economy, workforce, and culture.

Nuestras Historias, Nuestros Sueños/Our Stories, Our Dreams (2008) by Student Action with Farmworkers and the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University

Nuestras Historias, Nuestros Sueños/Our Stories, Our Dreams uses the documentary arts to amplify the voices of Latino migrant youth and their families about their hopes and dreams for the future. The bilingual publication is complemented by a traveling exhibit. Contact SAF to host the exhibit or receive a copy of the publication.

Tangled Routes: Women, Work, and Globalization on the Tomato Trail (2002) by Deborah Barndt

Tangled Routes follows a corporate tomato from a Mexican field through the US to a Canadian table, examining in its wake the dynamic relationship between production and consumption, work and technology, health and environment, bio-diversity and cultural diversity.

The Human Cost of Food: Farmworkers’ Lives, Labor, and Advocacy (2002) edited by Charles D. Thompson, Jr. & Melinda F. Wiggins

The Human Cost of Food addresses major factors that affect farmworkers’ lives while offering practical strategies for action on farmworker issues. Focusing on workers in the Southeast United States, a previously understudied region, they cover a range of issues, from labor organizing, to the rise of agribusiness, to current health, educational, and legal challenges faced by farmworkers. Contact SAF to order a copy.

The Latino Migration Experience in North Carolina: New Roots in the Old North State (2010) by Hannah Gill

The Latino Migration Experience in North Carolina offers North Carolinians from all walks of life a better understanding of their Latino neighbors, bringing light instead of heat to local and national debates on immigration. Exploring the larger social forces behind demographic shifts, Gill shows both how North Carolina communities are facing the challenges and opportunities presented by these changes and how migrants experience the economic and social realities of their new lives.

The Ministry of the Dispossessed: Learning from the Farm Worker Movement (1987) by Patricia Hoffman

The Ministry of the Dispossessed provides a history of and justification for faith community involvement with the farmworker movement in the 1970s and the formation of the National Farm Worker Ministry.

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From the laws and histories of ancient Israel to the life of Jesus and the letters of Paul, themes related to the treatment of farmworkers emerge consistently throughout the Judeo-Christian scriptures. Many of these passages suggest that a community’s relationship with God is in fact defined at least in part by its treatment of foreigners, laborers, the poor, and the marginalized. Below is a brief selection of Bible verses that support the idea that farmworkers should be treated fairly. All texts are from the New Revised Standard Version.

Hebrew Bible

There shall be one law for the native and for the alien who resides among you.
Exodus 12:49

You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 23:9

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and for the alien: I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 23:22

You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 10:19

You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns. You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt.
Deuteronomy 24:14-5

May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
Psalm 126:5-6

The field of the poor may yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice.
Proverbs 13:23

If you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, then I will dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your ancestors for ever and ever.
Jeremiah 7:6-7

Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice; who makes his neighbors work for nothing, and does not give them their wages.
Jeremiah 22:13

The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery; they have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the alien without redress.
Ezekiel 22:29

The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.
Zechariah 7:8-10

Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against… those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 3:5

New Testament

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
Matthew 25:35

‘Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’
Luke 10:36-37

Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due.
Romans 4:4

Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
Romans 12:13

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
Romans 13:8-10

But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 3:20

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:2

Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
James 5:4

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Here are pictures from the day:

Farmworker Institute interpreters and Melinda Wiggins of SAF

Lunch @ the Farmworker Institute

Everyone enjoyed the delicious food

Farmworker Institute T-Shirt

NC FIELD photo exhibit 2012

The post 2012 NC Farmworker Institute appeared first on NC Farmworker Institute.

The Farmworker Advocacy Network worked with Professor Bruce Orenstein's video and social change class at Duke University to create this documentary about the Harvest of Dignity Campaign.

The post Our Forgotten Neighbors appeared first on NC Farmworker Institute.

The Farmworker Advocacy Network worked with Professor Bruce Orenstein's video and social change class at Duke University to create this documentary about the Harvest of Dignity Campaign.

The post Uprooted Innocence appeared first on NC Farmworker Institute.

Watch the entire original broadcast of one of the most celebrated documentaries of all time, 1960′s “Harvest of Shame,” in which Edward R. Murrow exposed the plight of America’s farm workers.

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