Food Bubble: Why would a farm hire foreign workers?

USDA Photo by Lance Cheung, CC by 2.0.

From picking apples to snipping asparagus, harvesting produce requires incredible precision, and a lot of hard work. It’s the type of work that requires the human hand, yet it’s of little interest to Canadian job seekers.

That’s why Connery Farms near Portage la Prairie, MB, has hired foreign workers since the 1980s.

“It was becoming more and more difficult, even at that time, to find Canadian workers who were willing to do the labour, and who wanted to be outside in all kinds of weather – and do the hard work it takes to get all of our crops off,” says Beth Connery in this episode of Food Bubble, explaining the importance of reliable help, and why foreign labour has been so beneficial to their operation.

Also in this episode, host Andrew Campbell hears the perspective of Felena Perreira of Trinidad, who moves north every year for the seasonal work.

“It’s a very nice experience – although it does get very cool in Canada  – and I would encourage other women to try the…program,” says Perreira. “It works for me, and I hope it will work for other women.”

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Categories: Food Bubble / Podcasts