Editor’s note: This is the latest story in a series exploring the current state of labor in the fresh produce industry.
In 2020, farmworkers in the U.S. carried a document from the Department of Homeland Security, declaring their work to play a key role in helping to feed a nation in the middle of a global pandemic. Now, however, the rhetoric seems to have shifted.
Reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on farms and farmworkers have put the vital role these workers play in the fresh produce industry under the microscope. But Maria B. Resendiz Martinez, a crew foreman at Sierra Farms and a worker who had one of those DHS documents during the pandemic, says the work she and her fellow workers do is indispensable.
“If agriculture stops, what are we all going to eat?” she says via translation. “We are essential all the time because no one else but those of us who work in agriculture know what it takes to work in that field.”
Resendiz Martinez says farmworkers are passionate about the work they do and about their role in the fresh produce industry.
“Working in agriculture is important because, as they say, someone has to do it,” Resendiz Martinez says. “This is because if there were only office engineers, who would do the work in agriculture? We really have a big impact on society by working or dedicating ourselves to agriculture, because we believe that it is important to work in agriculture.”
Quality Connections
Resendiz Martinez, who has worked at the Watsonville, Calif.-based operation for 16 years and leads a crew of 26 workers, says farmworkers enjoy working in agriculture, especially for employers who look out for and take care of employees.
“A lot of people who work in agriculture actually really love the industry, and they feel passionate about what they do,” Resendiz Martinez says.
“When they find that job, they do it willingly because they like the environment, they like how they are treated, and it’s nice to work in a place where you feel confident,” she adds.
Resendiz Martinez says she’s one of only a few women in senior positions, and she knows keeping her crews informed is a crucial part of her role.
“[We have] the same emphasis on coming to work in agriculture and bringing food to the table, to your home too, because everything you work for to bring food to someone’s table contributes to your salary and bringing food to your table,” she says.
Resendiz Martinez says that while automated harvest might help augment the need for labor in the fields, she doesn’t see it replacing farmworkers altogether.
“We’ve seen robots that are being tested, but no, they don’t have the same level as workers. I think that, yes, those robots exist, but they can’t cover the magnitude of production,” she says. “And they can’t pick the product the same way human hands do.”
For Rafael “Rafa” Teran Melchor, a sanitation worker for Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers, he says he’s seen his role evolve from paper-based sanitation records to digital records.
“My job involves preparing chemicals, keeping sanitation records and cleaning the areas where the product moves through,” he says through a translator.
He adds that being part of a team is an important aspect of his role at Stemilt.
“When you work together, the job gets done right, and cleanliness is the best way to ensure a quality product,” he says. “We’re doing a good job to deliver fresh food and a good product to people.”
Alejandro Lizaola, a shipping manager for Misionero, has worked for the Gonzales, Calif.-based salad and leafy greens grower and packer for about 17 years. Like Teran Melchor, it’s the team element of the work that is his favorite part of the job.
“We take pride in our teamwork, and we want that to be reflected in the product — because at the end of the day, people are consuming what we produce,” Lizaola says via translation.
And he says it’s that team mentality that helps crews get through long shifts.
“We have a great team. Everyone is responsible, even during long 10-to-12-hour shifts,” he says. “We work together, and the teamwork makes it easier to come to work and still have the energy to go home and enjoy time with our families and loved ones.”
Misionero’s production supervisor, Myrna Acosta, who has worked in ag for 24 years and for Misionero since 2018, agrees, noting through a translator that the camaraderie with her colleagues is great.
Acosta points to Misionero’s participation in the Equitable Food Initiative as helping to create a good atmosphere in which to work.
“EFI encourages us to focus not only on food safety and production quality but also — most importantly — on the safety and well-being of our employees,” Acosta explains.
ICE Impact
While the farmworkers interviewed indicate they feel safe, they acknowledge that their colleagues are scared of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.
Resendiz Martinez says many farms in the area have put up “private property” signs and ranch owners have taken proactive steps to prevent ICE from entering farms without warrants.
“I think that the farmers have done a lot to protect their workers,” she says. “But yes, there is fear. There is fear, and you can see it in the streets and in the stores. This is happening because people are no longer going out.”
Resendiz Martinez says she’s seen a ripple effect on local businesses, saying farmworkers and others in the area only come out to run errands when they think there won’t be ICE activity.
“Before, many people came to eat at places, and now they’re not going anymore,” she says. “Those workers [at those restaurants] are also being affected, because if there are no sales, what do they do in their jobs? It’s having a very negative impact in these areas.”
Teran Melchor says families in the Wenatchee, Wash., area are concerned.
“Some families are scared to go to work or even go to the store,” he says. “In our area, we haven’t heard too much [of ICE raids], but there are families who are definitely concerned.”
David Moreno, a pallet jack operator at Misionero for four years, says farmworkers in his area are aware of ICE raids and other enforcement activities, and that has a bigger impact.
“Right now, there’s a sense of fear and uncertainty about what comes next,” he says. “A lot of hardworking people are being affected, and it’s not easy.”
What They Want You to Know
Resendiz Martinez says she hopes those who buy Sierra Farms/Good Farms strawberries in the store understand “there’s a lot of work behind that beautiful presentation.”
“It’s not just, oh, it appeared — like they say, a magic wand and it appeared here,” she says. “It’s getting up at six in the morning. Sometimes there are workers who work at midnight for us, usually in the strawberry harvest.”
She says on top of her role at Sierra Farms, she also has a role at home.
“There’s all that getting up, leaving your children sometimes at school, sometimes with the babysitter, preparing your own lunch, getting home, picking up your children, making them dinner, doing their homework and everything else that comes with family life, plus doing your job and doing it well,” she says.
And she says she wants those buying the strawberries to know the farmworkers who helped pick and pack the berries care about the end product.
“We try to do our best, just as we want the products to reach us, we strive to ensure that the product reaches consumers in the same way that we want it to,” she says.
Moreno says he hopes people who buy Misionero products understand the care that has gone into the product.
“When someone sees a product with a Misionero label on it at the store, they may not realize everything that goes into producing it,” he says through a translator. “There’s a whole process behind that small box of salad, and it would be interesting for people to know what it takes to get that product onto store shelves.”
He says he wants consumers to understand that the team cares about product quality.
“I hope people appreciate the work we put into it, because in the end, we do it for them,” he says. “There are many people here who truly care about the product and are committed to completing every step necessary to ensure it’s safe and ready for consumers to enjoy.”
Acosta also says she wants consumers to see Misionero’s attention to detail reflected in the products in the store.
“We strictly follow food safety and employee safety protocols to ensure we’re producing something people can feel good about consuming,” she says.
“We’re intentional about how we produce our products. We strive to do things differently — better — by following every food safety and employee safety standard,” she continues. “When someone buys a Misionero product, we want them to know they’re getting something that’s good for them and made with care.”
Moreno says he was impressed with a package of cherry tomatoes he bought in the store that had a QR code that highlighted the story of the worker who packed the tomatoes.
“It gave me insight, because most of the time we don’t think about who’s packaging the food or how it’s done — we just buy it,” he says. “Behind every product is a team of hardworking people.”
Workers Talk Thx! Experience
Social impact program Thx! connects consumers and retailers of fruits and vegetables to the farmworkers who pick and pack the produce. This program supports farmworkers’ personal goals, highlighting how purchases can support these dreams. Thx! workers recently share the impact of appearing on these packaging items.
Yda Guillen, a package supervisor, says the program helped her secure a roof over her home.
“I felt very emotional when I saw that my photo was going to a country many people dream of visiting, and even if I couldn’t go, my photo did,” she says through a translator. “When I saw the label with a video of my house and found out that customers would get to know me, I was deeply moved. It made me very happy. It makes me feel proud of my work; this is also the fruit of my effort. I’m grateful to everyone who made this possible.”
Luis Miguel de la Cruz, a sanitation worker, says Thx! helped him expand a boutique clothing store.
“Seeing my face on the grape packages was incredibly emotional, I never thought it would be real,” he says via translation. “Knowing that my image was reaching so many parts of the world filled me with pride. This support gave us the financial help we needed to move our family forward and achieve a goal that once felt out of reach. I never imagined something like this could happen to me. When I found out it was true, I felt so happy and grateful.”
Hernan Cancho Gonzalez, a packaging supervisor, says Thx! aided him with home improvements.
“Seeing my face on the grape packages was a huge surprise. It was very emotional to think that people from different parts of the world could see me there, representing my story and my hard work,” he says through a translator. “I never imagined something like this could happen to me, but thanks to Thx, Pedregal, and everyone who bought the products, that dream that once felt so far away is now a reality. I’m deeply grateful.”
Your next read: Why labor has reached a critical point in the fresh produce industry
