The past Wednesday, I attended the Becker-Rose Cafe Series  with Justine Vanden Heuvel and Mary Jo Dudley.  Although both speakers talked about different topics, both touched a bit about a few things required for farms. Heuvel spoke about farming grapes and how she helps farms in the fingerlakes make good business decisions. I thought the series was well suited to go with the theme of farm fresh foods at the dining hall.

At first, Mary Jo Dudley spoke about her work with helping farm workers. Although I did not grow up near farms, I knew some of the issues that farm workers would face. Farm workers have to work long hours, out in the sun. Dudley spoke about more problems than just job problems. She spoke specifically about the problems that farm workers face outside of work. An important topic to note is that there is a large labor shortage for farm workers. Because of this most of the farm workers are immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala. Before the year 2000, most of the farm workers in NY were migrant farm workers who would move place to place depending on the season. However, now two-thirds of the farm workers live in New York. Although most of the farm workers live in one place now, all year round, they still do not get to engage with the local community. They are socially isolated from the community. It is rather depressing that we do not engage much or even know much about the people who make grow our food.