According to the United States Department of Labor, 75% of farm workers in the U.S. are immigrants, the majority from Mexico.  More than 50% of these immigrants lack work authorization. In California approximately 75% of California’s farm workers are undocumented.  It’s no secret, growers and labor contractors know that the majority of the folks helping harvest their crops are undocumented.  These farmworkers play a crucial part in the production of over 350 commodities in California which produces 33% of the nation’s vegetables and nearly 66% of the nation’s fruits and nuts.  They perform all types of work from picking fruits and vegetables by hand to driving sophisticated harvesters.

It doesn’t end in the fields.  For decades Latinos have left the farmwork to better their lives and have become truck drivers, construction, and factory workers. During the summer in California’s Central Valley, you will see thousands of trucks driving throughout the state to deliver freshly harvested crops to the processor or packing house.  Majority of these drivers are Latinos.  Agriculture in California Depends On Us.