On May 30 at this year’s West Coast Produce Expo in Palm Desert, Calif., The Packer and the Equitable Food Initiative will present the second annual Grow the Good Farmworker of the Year award. To recognize the critical role farmworkers have in the fresh produce industry, The Packer is spotlighting each of this year’s five finalists, who were selected from nominations submitted in February.
Franklin “Frankie” Rolando Carrillo Rodas has worked for nine years at Windset Farms, a greenhouse grower with facilities in British Columbia and Santa Maria, Calif. He came from Guatemala to Windset’s Canadian facility as one of the company’s first temporary foreign workers and trained as machine operator.
“He began working in the greenhouse and quickly showed potential as a quick learner, team player and eagerness to grow,” said Tony Pacheco, Rodas’ manager who nominated him for the award.
Though Rodas came to Windset only knowing Spanish, he quickly set himself to learning English. He now speaks it so well he is able to translate for the workers and managers. He helps new workers in the program so they can have an easier time adjusting to the culture shock of coming to a new country, according to Pacheco.
Rodas advanced to the grading and shipping department where the majority of the staff are from India and speak Punjabi. He then began learning Punjabi so he could better communicate with all of his coworkers. Additionally, Rodas was the first of Windset’s temporary foreign workers who got a Canadian driver’s license and bought his own car. This trailblazing showed the other workers that driving in Canada is achievable to them, and more workers did the same, according to Pacheco.
“Franklin has also started procedures to become a permanent resident in Canada,” Pacheco added. “Which he has 100% of our support and a permanent position in our ‘Canadian’ staff for the day that this happens.”
