During this lecture, I learned several things about the current farmland initiatives that are taking place nationwide. Interestingly, the majority of farm laborers are undocumented. Prior to attending this lecture, I knew only a little bit about the difficulties immigrant laborers face in their daily lives here in upstate New York. While I am aware of the proximity to Canada’s border, I did not think that the U.S. Border patrol sought after hardworking immigrants on private farms.

I learned this past week that the average literacy rate of many of these laborers is at or below a 6^th grade level. I am in support of many initiatives that aim to educate American laborers. I was glad to hear that Cornell has its own program that strives to teach farmers English. As a transfer student, I am trying to get involved with the community both inside and outside the Cornell community. With over 25% of the nation’s farmland being suitable for farming, I believe it is imperative that more local and federal government recognition is given to these immigrant laborers. While society has a shifted toward a growing movement of locally harvested farm goods and products, this effort has come from an environmental and sustainability standpoint and has not addressed the mass production of our food and the associated labor.

Overall, this lecture reminded me of a discussion that I attended after reading, The Good Food Revolution, when the author, Will Allen, spoke to the effects of labor work and sustainability. Over the years, Allen’s vision stressed the importance of developing more sustainable farming projects across the country. While he started the project to bring quality food to those living near unsustainable harvesting land or food deserts, in the process Allen tackled some issues revolving around labor. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see if the farm labor movement will start to get more attention by the government. I enjoyed this lecture and look forward to this Wednesday’s lecture!