Wednesday was the Farm to Fork House Dinner. Following the Dinner, I attended the Becker-Rose Cafe Series talk given by Justine Vanden Heuvel and Mary Jo Dudley. Justine is a professor here at Cornell who focuses on the science of wine grape production. Mary Jo is the director of the Cornell Farmworker Program, which combines research, education, and outreach to better the lives of farm workers and their families.

Mary Jo began by giving some statistics and background on the farmworkers’ lives and working conditions. Many are undocumented workers who live in fear of being deported. They rely on seasonal work to maintain their livelihood. Because of this, their work is not guaranteed or secure. Often their children have to attend multiple schools within a given year because they have to travel from one worksite to another. Justine followed by explaining some of the work and research that she does to optimize wine grape production and improve the flavor and aroma of the grapes. The common thread between Mary Jo and Justine’s work is that there are disparities within agricultural work and that as consumers, we often take for granted the work and efforts that go into bringing the food we eat literally from farm to fork.

This conversation stimulated my thoughts on connections between the field of agriculture and a topic from my Education class on the distinction between “brain work” and “hand work” that is being made in our workforce and in schools. As we move more and more towards a technology-based society and economy, we are placing emphasis on mechanization and forgetting how much we rely on people who work towards the production of basic needs, such as food. This translates into a stronger appreciation for seemingly academically rigorous fields of study and work when emphasis should also be placed on the intellect and physical risks involved in the agricultural realm and similar fields.

Overall, I think that we need to have more conversations on the topics of farm workers and food production. As our economy and country’s population continues to change, grow, and evolve, we have to seriously consider what the situation is going to look like in the future. With the multiple factors of politics, livelihoods, and lives involved, these are certainly complex issues with a lot at stake. Moreover, they are  not issues that only impact the lives of specific groups of people. Everyone is impacted and numerous generations are affected. Therefore, they are issues that everyone should be informed about. I am definitely open to learning more.