A Closer Look at Farm Labor

Jamaicans harvest squash

Jamaican workers harvest squash on a Vermont farm. Unlike the dairy industry, horticultural farms make use of a seasonal guest worker program called H2A, which provides VISAs for temporary workers from selected countries. These workers are well-paid, have government-inspected housing, and are well treated by their farm employers except in vary rare cases; as a result many of the men return to the same farm year after year.