HOW ZERO WATER WILL HURT LATINO FARM EMPLOYEES


Editor's Note: Below are exclusive audio reports on how Latino Farm Employees would be hurt due to a possible zero water allocation in Federal Water Districts. It could mean the end of what they have been striving for---the American Dream. 

 We want to thank the good folks at Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers for sponsoring this series.


PART 1 -- How Latino farm employees suffer with low water allocations. In this report Maria Hernandez, of Los Gatos Tomatoes, Huron; Hortencia Solario, Harris-Wolf Farms almond processing near Huron; and Jesus Cuevas, with Woolf Farming in Huron share the frustration of fish being more important than humans.

Photo is of Hortencia Solario
PART 2 -- Farm workers' children are often college educated. This extraordinary fact is a testament that they want to achieve the American Dream, which could all be dashed with zero water deliveries in 2014. This report features Jesus Cuevas, Woolf Farming; Maria Hernandez, Los Gatos Tomatoes; and Hortencia Solario with Harris-Woolf Farms. All farming operations are in Western Fresno County and will be severely impacted due to reduced or zero water deliveries.


Photo is of Maria Hernandez


PART 3 -- There is real fear that the loss of water in 2014 will harm the livelihoods of Latino farm employee families throughout California’s Central Valley. In this report you will hear from Jesus Cuevas, who oversees processing tomatoes for Woolf Farming, based in Huron; Stuart Woolf, president of Woolf Farming; and Hortencia Solario, who works for Harris-Woolf Farms, an almond processor.


Photo is of Jesus Cuevas


PART 4 -- Zero water deliveries will cause an unstable economic future and devastate communities. Plus, hear Juan Guadian’s opinion on how humans are more important than fish. 



PART 5 -- If zero water allocation shifts farming to other countries, there will be food safety issues. This report features Guillermo Gutierrez, a ranch foreman with Hammonds Ranch near Firebaugh in Western Fresno County; and Jesus Cuevas, who heads up tomato production for Woolf Farming in Huron, also in Western Fresno County.

 Photo is of Guillermo Gutierrez

 
PART 6 -- A flawed biological opinion is causing 1000's of Latinos to be laid off work. This report features Raul Enriques, who manages permanent crops for Harris Farms, and William Bourdeau, Executive Vice President of Harris Farms, based in Coalinga, Calif.

Photo is of Raul Enriques




PART 7 -- Esmael Reyes works for Harris Farms near Coalinga in Western Fresno County. He came to the Central Valley by way of Texas in 1966 when he was 8 years old. As the irrigation foreman for Harris Farms, Reyes knows all too well the effect of not having enough water for crops. Reyes also comments on how zero water can cause food insecurity.
 

PART 8 --The Westside will receive severely reduced water allocations for the foreseeable future, which will lead to food lines and devastated communities. This report features: William Bourdeau, Executive Vice President of Harris Farms near Coalinga;  Shawn Coburn a diversified farmer near Firebaugh; and Jesus Cuevas who oversees the cannery tomato acreage for Woolf Farming near Huron.

 Photo is of Shawn Coburn


Labels: , ,