BROOKFIELD, Vt. (WCAX) – Migrant farm workers help keep Vermont’s farms going. Various state efforts in recent years have sought to bring these workers out of the shadows to get the resources they need to be successful. That includes a Brookfield farmer working to create a better life for her employees.
At Sprague Ranch in Brookfield, nine migrant farm workers from Mexico help maintain the hundreds of cows at the historic dairy farm.
“We did have American workers but it was constant turnover. So, that’s why we decided to go with migrant workers. Since that has happened, it has changed our business completely,” said Chelsea Sprague, the farm’s co-owner.
Over the last decade, Sprague has been trying to make sure the workers have transportation, medical care, good wages, and above all — a safe place to live. “The worker housing situation is a huge part of the quality of life for farmworkers in general. It is important for them to have a nice place to be able to get away,” she said.
Migrant farm worker housing has been a concern for the last several years. A 2021 report to the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board highlighted a number of issues, from overcrowding to septic capacity to appliances. One way to address some of the concerns is a loan offered through the Champlain Housing Trust focused on repairs to farmworker housing.
“It worked out great. The project, overall, was twice as much as what our funding allotted. But that’s okay, it all helps,” Sprague said.
The program offers up to $30,000 in forgivable loans with 0% interest. It has funded projects for 35 farms across Vermont, benefiting 147 farm workers.
The Champlain Housing Trust’s Julie Curtin says this work is essential for addressing the needs of migrant workers. “Health and housing are intertwined and having clean, quality housing that is in good repair — mold-free, that does not have moisture, warm in the winter, cool in the summer — all of those things support physical and mental health,” she said.
Dan Baker, a professor of community development and applied economics at the University of Vermont, says it’s not just housing that needs to be addressed. “How they manage their stress, how they manage social isolation, communication — those are some significant challenges, mental health challenges,” he said. “Many farm workers have a really difficult journey up here to the United States.
Sprague agrees there are many gaps in addressing the needs of migrant farm workers. “Workers have needs like transportation, like regular health care. Things come up, and if the farmer isn’t willing to or doesn’t have time to sort of help that process, figuring out life, then it can be really challenging,” she said.
Baker hopes the state can come up with a visa program for dairy farm workers in the future and says UVM Extension is working on training programs for migrant farm workers.