Agricultural Workers labor in strenuous conditions across the United States to ensure we have fresh food at our table. Often, farmworkers must leave their homes for the purpose of working in agricultural work. They may work in farm fields, orchards, canneries, plant nurseries, fish/seafood packing plants, and more. Seasonal agricultural workers are employed temporarily or seasonally in agriculture. They do not move from their initial residence to work and might also have other employment during the year.

More and more of this work is becoming seasonal in nature, where farmworkers stay in an area throughout the year. In fact, 85% of hired farm labor is seasonal where farmworkers live within 75 miles of their work site. However, 13% of farmworkers continue to shuttle more than 75 miles or follow crops and move to work various harvest seasons across the country. These farmworker groups have health, social, and economic needs, just like anyone else. Yet, due to their work’s seasonality and mobile nature, they experience many barriers to accessing services.

Many farmworkers and their families live in substandard conditions. According to the most recent National Agriculture Workers Survey, 20% of farmworker families live at or below the federal poverty level. These families are also likely to need services in another language than English, which could be Spanish, Haitian Creole, or an indigenous dialect. Farmworkers are often physically and socially isolated from the communities where they live and work, making them vulnerable to employer abuse and a lack of important health and social services.

 Health Centers provide health and social services to farmworker families.

Farmworkers and their families can move hundreds and thousands of miles to work throughout the year. As one can imagine, moving often, far away, and into substandard living conditions takes a toll on mental and physical health. In fact, according to 2021 Health Center Uniform Data System (UDS) data, anxiety, mental disorders, and mood disorders were among this population’s top 10 most common diagnoses. Farmworkers also experience high levels of obesity, type II diabetes, and hypertension.

Barriers to accessing health care such as language access, lower levels of health literacy, not having health insurance, and inability to pay for services, as well as long working hours and limited transportation, already exist for  farmworkers and their families. Even if a farmworker or family member receives regular healthcare, moving to a new community interrupts these services, which makes management difficult and can have health consequences. Other important healthcare services such as dental care, prenatal care for pregnant women, well child visits, and vaccinations for youth can also be interrupted.

HRSA-funded Health Centers have funding to serve farmworkers and are required to provide patient-centered primary health care. Community Health Centers offer payment on a sliding fee scale and provide enabling services such as transportation, interpretation, case management, and Community Health Workers (CHW) or Protomora de Salud programming to meet the needs of individuals. However, finding another Community Health Center can be hard when farmworker families move. Health center providers can assist migrant families by collaborating with health centers to share medical records or by providing health records to individuals so they can share them with a new provider.

Finally, health centers often have navigator staff to help migrant farmworker families apply for insurance and public benefits for which they are eligible as they move. Farmworkers can get assistance navigating the health insurance marketplace, applying for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, food assistance, and other public benefits. These staff can provide education to farmworkers who fear applying for benefits due to immigration concerns. They also assess patients’ social determinants of health needs and provide referrals to other community-based organizations providing services.

 Education Programs provide high-quality education for Farmworker children.

For children of farmworkers, learning and extracurricular activities for school-aged children are fragmented; moving to a new school district during the school year disturbs these activities. This makes receiving a well-rounded education for these kids difficult and will have an impact on them throughout their lives. Moving frequently also takes a toll on the mental health of youth who must leave their friends and familiar learning environments.

 Head Start programs serve farmworker families across 38 states. These programs are designed for children of farmworkers and provide high-quality early childhood education opportunities. Other programs quality education to farmworkers’ children of all ages with the goal of helping these children reach challenging academic standards, graduate high school, and prepare them to be productive adults. Check out this program locator to find a program near you!

Legal aid organizations support farmworker families with crucial legal support.

Farmworkers are vulnerable to various abuses including wage theft, child labor, human trafficking, and exposure to harmful working and living conditions.

There are legal aid organizations that can help farmworker families resolve some of their legal troubles. These organizations often receive funding from various sources to provide legal services for free to low-income agricultural workers and their dependents. For example, in Michigan where many farmworkers move from southern states and Mexico to harvest fruits and vegetables, there are various legal aid organizations, including Farmworker Legal Services.

When supporting farmworkers as they come and go from your community, it is crucial to provide person-centered services. CHW or Promotor(a) de Salud programs reach and engage farmworkers in your community. CHWs are members of the communities who not only speak the language of their community but also have a first-hand understanding of the various challenges they experience. This builds trust between farmworker communities and an organization. To learn more about how to implement or improve a CHW program at your health center, contact MHP Salud at nttap@mhpslaud.org!

This resource is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $678,959.00 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.