Every year you can see them as you drive by the fields, hundreds of strong backs laboring under the hot summer sun to bring in the harvest. These unsung heroes burn their midnight oil trying to plow the fields to bring food to our tables and their relentless hard work contributes to the economy. Farmworker Appreciation Day was made to help raise awareness of these often forgotten bastions of the economy, and remind us to be thankful for all they’ve done.

History of Farmworker Appreciation Day

Farmworker Appreciation Day was created to be a moment of appreciation for these workers and to raise awareness of the issues they face every year. Farmworkers help keep the world fed and work what is considered to be one of the most dangerous jobs in the first world, and yet they often not protected by the same laws that protect other workers.

Some of the hazards they face in their line of work include exposure to pesticides and fertilizers that can be toxic and cause rashes or worse to those exposed to them and the perils of working under the punishing summer sun for hours on end without shade. In the course of their jobs they apply pesticides, dig in fertilized soil, and harvest those same plants they previously doused with poison. In such perilous conditions, it’s not surprising that many die and fall sick each year from the hazards of their job.

They work tirelessly and that too on minimum or long-overdue wages to feed the country, they are often looked down upon as “trivial peasants” or nobody important. Being a farmer is something to be proud of, they work through various challenges, uplift the economy, and enhance agricultural development.

The best way to celebrate farmworker Appreciation Day is by learning about their struggles, donating to the farmworker association, and spread a positive message on social media.