Harvest time has come again to San Benito County and thousands
of migrant farm workers are expected to follow, pumping their wages
into the local economy as they perform a job crucial to the
county’s biggest industry.
Hollister – Harvest time has come again to San Benito County and thousands of migrant farm workers are expected to follow, pumping their wages into the local economy as they perform a job crucial to the county’s biggest industry.
During the harvest season – which typically lasts from spring to fall – as many as 8,000 migrant workers, many from Mexico, will find temporary employment on the farms and ranches of San Benito County and subsequently spend their money at businesses throughout the county, said Jess Murguia, employment
program representative at the Employment Development Department.
The workers affect the county’s economy, “considerably,” Murguia said.
“It’s every aspect,” he said, “transportation, a place to live, clothes – they are constantly spending money whenever they need to buy goods and services.”
Francisco Sanchez with Discoteca Y Video on San Benito Street said his business picks up a little during the harvest months. And Hollister Supermarket has about a 30 percent increase in sales between January and July, said owner Jim Gibson.
“But I don’t know how much of it has to do with the harvest,” he said.
In addition to being a boon to the San Benito County’s economy, the migrant workers who come into the county each year take the jobs that, though hard and unpopular, are crucial for the county’s biggest industry.
Without the workers, “Growers would have a hard time getting crops harvested,” said Agriculture Commissioner Paul Matulich. “They do work other people don’t want to do, stooping and cutting lettuce eight hours a day. They earn every dime they get.”
Unemployment in the county goes down during the harvest, said Kathy Flores, executive director of the Community Services and Workforce Development Department.
The harvest creates a “ripple effect,” Murguia said, creating many jobs ranging from food packaging to grocery store work.
In 2004 San Benito County’s unemployment rate dropped from more than 12 percent in January to 6.9 percent in August, according to historical labor force data from the Employment Development Department.
Pride of San Juan, which produces a variety of crops, including lettuce, leeks and fennel, employs between 450 to 500 workers for the harvest each year, said Ranch Manager Mike Brautovich.
“Most I would call resident workers. They work here, and then go back to their families in Mexico in their off time,” he said.
Migrants who work harvesting bell peppers, lettuce, strawberries and a variety of other crops live in various places during the season.
One of those is a migrant camp on Southside Road. The camp, which is open for 180 days starting June 1, consists of 67 two and three bedroom units, which rent for about $10 a day or more, Flores said.
Migrant farm workers often arrive in the county with their families. Their children face the challenge of moving from school to school as their parents follow seasonal work.
“The biggest challenge is an interrupted school year,” said Jose Zepeda, coordinator of migrant education for the Hollister School District. “It leaves gaps in their studies. They’re always playing catch up.”
If children arrive in the county after the middle of May, they are put into summer school programs. And then attend school in fall if they are still around. Most are gone by Nov. 30, he said.
Luke Roney covers education and agriculture for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at [email protected].
