The classic image of the American immigrant involves a family arriving in a big city like New York or San Francisco and working to make their way in that urban environment. But statistics show that more immigrants to the U.S. head to the Midwest where they take jobs in agriculture.
In fact, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, between 2007 and 2011, 2.1 million foreign-born people lived in rural areas. Since 1990, the Midwest and South’s Latino population has grown significantly — particularly in towns with meat packing plants. Now, more children of immigrants are seeing farming as an attractive career path.
In a two-part series for Iowa Public Radio, Amy Mayer explored this shift. Five years ago, the Boelens sold their farm in the Netherlands because they weren’t able to expand it enough to sustain it and moved to Iowa. The family of seven came to America through a program called the Startup Visa for foreign entrepreneurs who plan to invest $100,000 or more in a U.S. business. Through it, five American jobs must be created in order for the visa to be renewed. Two of the Boelen’s five children tell Mayer that one day they plan to farm the family’s land.
A more typical immigrant farmer story is that of Pacifique Simon, who was born in Congo to Burundian parents in refugee camps. The Simons received asylum in the U.S. and came to Des Moines. They didn’t have enough money to buy a farm and make use of their agricultural experience, but a program sponsored by some Iowa churches has provided them with land to work.
Simon is majoring in agricultural systems technology at Iowa State University in the hopes of making farming his life. “I want to learn some skills here and then go teach people back there so they can produce enough food to feed their own family,” Simon tells Mayer.
The largest immigrant group in the Midwest, however, are Latinos, especially Mexican-Americans. Mayer found that some of the children of Mexican immigrants are turned off by the prospect of a career in agriculture since they’ve seen their parents worn down by backbreaking labor in meatpacking plants in exchange for low wages.
Still, with so many second-generation Latinos in the Midwest, some of them are turning to farming for a career. Mayer spoke to Brian Castro, who graduated from Iowa State this year. His parents are immigrants from Mexico, and he plans to make a career out of providing better agricultural jobs for Latinos.
“There’s a huge misrepresentation of the Latino population,” Castro says, “of Latino workers in the decision-making area for agriculture, even though they are the number one, the main population of the workers.”
Melissa Garcia, whose parents also immigrated from Mexico, earned a full-ride to Iowa State and plans to study to be a large animal veterinarian. “There’s a career and a job out there waiting for me,” she tells Mayer. “And then hopefully one day I’ll reach my goal of having my own farm.”
MORE: From Field Hands to Farmers: This Program Helps Latino Immigrants Become Land Owners
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this post referred to Iowa State University by its old name, Iowa State College of Agriculture, and stated that Brian Castro and Melissa Garcia are cousins–they are not.
Tag: midwest
How America Is Investing in Local Fruits and Veggies
America’s Midwest is still best known for its corn fields, but apple orchards are making a comeback. Across the plains states, farmers are tearing down fields of corn — the high-starch variety commonly used for ethanol and cattle feed — and instead planting fruits and vegetables. According to crop analysts, because of the surplus of corn in the country — a record 97 million acres of farmland were devoted to it in 2012 — an acre of this crop is projected to net farmers only $284 this year after expenses. Compare that to apples, which will net an average of about $2,000 or more per acre, and it’s no wonder that farmers are ready to trade in corn stalks for more profitable fruit trees. And unlike other times in American history, the market for local produce is ripe for the picking. The federal government has urged Americans to double the amount of fruits and vegetables they eat, even as farmland for these healthy foods has decreased over the last decade. About 1.8 million acres of farmland were devoted to the top 25 vegetables in 2012. For fruits, including citrus, that number has dropped from 3.2 to 2.8 million acres in 10 years.
MORE: How to Feed Our Swelling Cities
And it’s not just corn growers who are hopping on the fruit wagon. As dairy farmers continue to face financial hardships, nearly two dozen Organic Valley Co-op members are now growing fruits, veggie, or both on their land. In North Carolina, 200 to 300 tobacco growers are now planting produce, according to the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project. In Iowa, the sons and daughters of corn farmers are returning and starting their own produce businesses. “The children of corn farmers are coming back to the farm, and carving out 5 or 10 acres to grow fruits and vegetables,” Craig A. Chase, food and farm coordinator at Iowa State University, told the New York Times. “They can easily make $30,000 to $40,000 a year.”
Of course, growing fruits and vegetables is a lot more work than raising corn, especially for those with no experience. With that in mind, Richard Weinzierl, a crop sciences professor at the University of Illinois, started a series of classes teaching the basics. The first class, which was held in three locations around the state, had about 90 students, all of whom were interested in growing a variety of crops. This is good news for grocers, especially in the Midwest, who are becoming more interested in stocking local produce, and of course, for consumers, who are looking for healthier options for their families. And in many cases, the local produce is just as cheap, if not cheaper. “It’s a good feeling,” Tim B. Slepicka, an Illinois farmer said. “Especially knowing that one in six people are using food stamps. They’re looking for the least expensive calorie possible, and why should a pound of tomatoes — which are basically seed, dirt and water — have to cost as much or more than a frozen meal?”
ALSO: Why You Should Care About a Crop You’ve Never Heard Of
Calling All Vets: Iowa Wants You!
Calling all [p2p type=”post_tag” value=”veterans”]veterans[/p2p]: Iowa wants you! Iowa Governor Terry Branstad recently launched Home Base Iowa, a new partnership between public and private interests in Iowa that will pair veterans with companies seeking employees. The program will raise private funds to make veterans aware of this service through social media and military publications. Branstad says that in his travels throughout Iowa, he’s encountered many employers who want to hire more workers but can’t find people with the right skills. Branstad hopes the program will encourage veterans to move to Iowa, help reduce veteran unemployment, and fill those positions that Iowa companies have ready and waiting for skilled workers.