If one were to ask a group of students in an urban classroom in the US who are planning to work on a farm after graduating, you would be hard-pressed to find a significant percentage saying yes. That is not to say that agriculture is not important because it is quite vital to our way of living and economy. Justine Vanden Heuvel and Mary Jo Dudley gave an enlightening talk about the state of agriculture in New York and the US, talking about problems and topics that I have never considered before. The problem is the disconnect between the current generation and what agriculture actually involves. There is a pervasive stigma that working on a farm is dangerous, physically strenuous and dirty and Americans seem to not want to work in an industry that seems to not offer advancement in careers. Therefore, the majority of the workforce for agriculture is foreign; but the majority of those workers are undocumented. These farmworkers are perpetually at risk for deportation and it puts the agricultural industry in a precarious position. Even the booming grape wine industry in New York is not safe in its growth and success if the supply of farmworkers is insecure.
According to studies, a conservative estimate of how much of the labor in agriculture is foreign is actually at least 50%. If the situation with undocumented migrant workers is not handled properly, then the agricultural industry could collapse overnight because who would pick the apples, milk the cows and make wine from grapes? Gaining a better understanding of how farmworkers live and the problems they face will be essential in ensuring that the agricultural industry remains healthy and thrives. For example, most children of farmworkers don’t stay at one school for more than 2 months, leading to a low quality education. Families obviously don’t want that for their children but their hands are tied when it comes to finding work.
If people like us take an active role in helping these farmworkers, even if it is as simple as tutoring other children our age, and in learning about the different aspects of agriculture, then we become better equipped to deal with future problems pertaining to agriculture. Additionally, we would also become much more aware of the opportunities available in agriculture because it is a multifaceted industry. There is a lot of service jobs in the industry, such as risk management for vineyards or economics with market pricing, that can fit your skills and let you have a career (with advancements!) that you actually may enjoy.
It is essential to not disregard something just because your ambitions don’t lie in that field. Agriculture is a silent, but important part of our lives and ensuring that it is a position that can grow and not falter will be crucial.