I openly admit that I usually don’t think about the origin of my food. I’m not referring to supermarkets, restaurants, or other food vendors. Mostly everything that is eaten can probably be traced back to a farm. In New York, 25% of the land is considered farmland. At Cornell, I am constantly reminded of the influence and presence of agriculture. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is one of Cornell’s most popular colleges. Even Ezra Cornell, the founder of Cornell University, was considered a farmer.
Mary Jo Dudley spoke to us about the migrant worker. It was greatly troubling to hear some of the obstacles and challenges one has to face if he or she is an undocumented worker. A fascinating hypothetical scenario was proposed. What would happen if all undocumented individuals were deported? Besides moral concerns (e.g. separation of families), one could also speculate that the agricultural industry would be severely affected. This is because the majority of farm workers are actually undocumented immigrants. If this is the case, it would probably be wise to develop alternative solutions to the issue of immigration.
Being a farmer is not the most sought out profession in the United States. Why is this? Perhaps, it is due to a certain stigma of being “uneducated” or “dirty.” Perhaps, it is due to the fact that farm work is incredibly labor intensive and demanding. Regardless of the answer(s), the inevitable truth is that most Americans do not plan to work on a farm. It is, therefore, critical to not underestimate the influence of the migrant worker. The next time I eat a meal, I will make sure to appreciate the work that goes on behind the scenes.
I too attended this event. I remember Mary Jo Dudley talking about the deportation of all the undocumented individuals in the country. This has become a hot topic in our country with the upcoming presidential election and candidates taking different stances on the topic of immigration. For one, deporting all the illegal immigrants would be next to impossible but thinking about this possibility we usually talk about the moral aspect. We don’t really think about the devastating effects it would have on the agriculture.