Farmworker conditions in Hudson Valley discussed at Culinary event

HYDE PARK - The food justice and ethics movement has addressed a wide variety of issues ranging from sustainability to animal cruelty, but two authors argue that one problem has flown under the radar — work conditions for undocumented farm workers.

While the issue has gained attention at large factory farms, those same human-rights concerns exist at small farms across the country, including the Hudson Valley.

"Because it's small and because it's in the Hudson Valley, people jump to conclusions that working conditions are much better," Margaret Gray said Monday at the Culinary Institute of America.

"In the Borderlands of Food Justice" authors Ruth Reichl and Gray discussed the struggles of farm workers as an often ignored issue within the food industry, and the prevalence of undocumented workers.

Gray, a political science professor at Adelphi University on Long Island, explored the conditions surrounding area farm workers in her book "Labor and the Locavore: The Making of a Comprehensive Food Ethic" and interviewed 160 Hudson Valley farm workers and 18 Hudson Valley farmers as part of her research.

Among the Hudson Valley farms Gray visited, about 73 percent of farm workers classified as undocumented workers.

While Gray praises the food justice movement as an educational tool that advocates for positive change within the food industry, she added that the conditions farm workers face are often neglected, particularly with undocumented workers.

Still, Gray said the working conditions for farm workers is a "natural progression" for the food ethics movement.

VIDEO: CIA's Menus of Change attempts to solve issue of food sustainability

Reichl said she expects the topic to become more prevalent in the coming years, but people are slow to process these types of issues.

"When we're dealing with these human problems it becomes much more personal and scary," Reichl said.

Gray said it is not uncommon for farmers to actively recruit from undocumented workers.

Undocumented farm workers are always at a disadvantage, with fear of being deported motivating workers to stay silent regarding labor abuses such as a lack of overtime and no day of rest, Gray said.

"Even without the farmer doing anything, you have a workforce that is afraid and doesn't want to cause any problems," Gray said.

As a culinary student with a concentration in farm to table, Emma Fretheim, 21, who lives in Hyde Park, said the talk highlighted an overlooked aspect of the food ethics.

"It's just such a big part of the industry," Fretheim said.

CIA student Dylan Pitcher, 21, based in Poughkeepsie, said it was necessary to pay equal attention to farm worker conditions as any other food justice topic.

"It's a problem not talked about as much as health and environmental concerns," Pitcher said.

The dialogue was framed around John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath," with Gray and Reichl arguing that the plight of the Dust Bowl migrant workers in the book mirrors the issues modern farm workers face.

Media coverage of the food industry is one area that could use improvement. Food-centric publications tend to only depict food in an attractive light to support the industry, but they rarely focus on the issues, Gray said.

"There's disproportionate attention on the farmers with an absence of attention on the farm workers," Gray said.

As former editor-in-chief at Gourmet magazine, Reichl agreed that food writing needs to be the front line in raising awareness.

"Lots of food press has become remarkably complacent," Reichl said.

One potential solution to the treatment of farm workers would be to raise prices on goods sold through farmers markets, Gray said. These foods are already sold at a premium price point, making the price hike more reasonable.

"You already got a population willing to pay a premium," Gray said.

The dialogue was organized in collaboration with the institute, Rural & Migrant Ministry in Poughkeepsie and the Poughkeepsie Public Library District.

Geoffrey Wilson: gwilson@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4882, Twitter: @PoJoGeoffWilson.