Cashiers Rotary Launches Operation Fieldwork with Vecinos Farmworker Health Program
Did you know that, in 2018, North Carolina produced more sweet potatoes than any other state in the country? We ranked seventh for tomatoes and cantaloupes, fifth for cucumbers and fourth for strawberries. Add corn, soybeans and other agricultural products integral to our lives and that’s a lot of fruit and vegetables grown in our own backyard that end up on our tables.
And 85% of that is picked by hand, meaning North Carolina has one of the largest farmworker populations in the nation. Yet despite the absolutely vital role farmworkers play in our society, agricultural work remains one of the most dangerous jobs with the fewest benefits. That’s where Vecinos comes in.