This week is National Farmworker Awareness Week a time to bring attention to the critically important work they do and honor them for the contributions they make in our daily lives. Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) CareerForce Division staff serve farmworkers and other agricultural employees across the state through Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Services and the H2-A Temporary Agricultural Worker Visa Program.

According to the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs, as many as 3 million men, women and children tend to and harvest fruits, vegetables and other crops in the United States, often handpicking produce in the heat or in the cold and sometimes becoming exposed to chemicals or other hazards. 

• Learn more about Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Services in Minnesota, which employs U.S. citizens
• Learn more about the H2-A Temporary Agricultural Worker Visa Program, which employs workers from other countries