Latine Farmworker Recruitment and Community Wellbeing in Ohio

Project Overview

GNC24-392
Project Type: Graduate Student
Funds awarded in 2024: $18,876.00
Projected End Date: 09/30/2025
Grant Recipient: The Ohio State University
Region: North Central
State: Ohio
Graduate Student:
Isaiah Franco
Email
Faculty Advisor:
Douglas Jackson-Smith
Email
Ohio State University

Commodities

Not commodity specific

Practices

  • Farm Business Management: labor/employment
  • Sustainable Communities: community development, ethnic differences/cultural and demographic change, social capital, social networks, sustainability measures

    Abstract:

    Agricultural systems in the US have long relied on flexible low-wage (usually undocumented) labor to meet needs at peak points during the season, with little consideration for the impacts of this low wage labor on essential farmworkers. To meet the challenge of decreasing worker availability, utilization of the H-2A temporary worker program has grown substantially in the US. As the US transitions from a largely undocumented but settled farm labor force to one which has legal work status but is temporary, it is important to study the wellbeing impacts of this shift on farmworkers, farmers, and the communities in which they settle. Accordingly, this project draws on 33 qualitative interviews gathered in three Ohioan communities differentiated by the degree to which they rely on H-2A or non-H-2A laborers. In doing so, it aims to inform efforts by rural communities to adapt to changing migration patterns.

    This study asks: 1.) How is the wellbeing of farmworkers and farmers impacted by different labor recruitment pathways? 2.) How does wellbeing differ among communities depending on the mix of labor recruitment through H-2A or non-H-2A pathways? and 3.) How can communities and immigrant support organizations improve wellbeing in response? I find that H-2A employment is characterized by more tenuous relationships to the communities in which they settle compared to non-H-2A workers, though proactive community action may address challenges accompanying H-2A employment.

    Project objectives:

    This project objectives were to:

    1. Better understand how shifting to labor recruitment through the H-2A program is impacting farmers, farmworkers, and the communities they live and work in.
    2. Identify interventions and best practices to assist communities and individuals as they adapt to the changing labor recruitment regime.
    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.