Celebrating Farmworker Appreciation Day
When you go to the grocery store and hold a juicy Tomato in your hand, how often do you consider the many hard-working people who helped it get there?
Growing and transporting produce along the supply chain is a labor of love and hard work, and feeding the millions of people in our communities would not be possible without the men and women who keep that chain moving.
While it may not always be on our minds, farmworkers impact our lives every day, picking, packing, and shipping fresh food, keeping grocery stores stocked, and providing access to healthy food for our communities.
So how do we thank the men and women who feed our cities?
A great place to start is by observing Farmworker Appreciation Day, which happens each year on August 6. This day is celebrated to raise awareness for the conspicuous superheroes we call farmworkers, reminding us to be thankful for all they do.
Why Thank A Farmworker?
Farmworkers are the backbone of our food supply chain, as they are responsible for planting, raising, harvesting, and packing our fruits and vegetables. They are also critical in the production of dairy and meat, meaning all the food you eat daily is in some way connected to a farmworker!
When the COVID-19 pandemic paused our lives in 2020, we saw firsthand how farmworkers, with the help of others in the food supply chain, kept our grocery stores stocked. Through good times and hard times, their tireless work ensures the steady flow of goods from the farm to the market floor.
With so much of their effort happening behind the scenes, it is important to be thankful and let farmworkers know their hard work is seen and appreciated.
In early 2020, we created a short video to thank the farmworker heroes at Nature Fresh Farms – watch it now!
How To Thank A Farmworker
There are many ways to say thank you, and luckily, you can’t go wrong as long as you’re thoughtful and sincere.
Let’s look at some helpful tips to thank our farmworkers for all they do for our lives!
Say Thank You
This might seem too obvious, but a personal thank you gives a human touch that cannot be replaced. As farmworkers are always hard at work behind the scenes, the simplest and most effective solution might be the most effective. There is no substitute for letting a person know they’re seen and appreciated.
Spread The Word On Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool that can spread the word to others about the importance of farmworkers.
By sharing news, updates, and thank you messages on your social media channels you can digitally shout your support from the rooftops to raise awareness among your friends and family about how much we rely on farmworkers.
Use the #FarmworkerAppreciationDay hashtag on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to add to the global conversation!
Fill Out Our Coloring Sheet
Kids can learn the value of showing gratitude by completing our Thank a Farmworker coloring sheet. This creative tool allows children to express themselves by coloring in one of our beautiful greenhouses. This handcrafted art can be framed and gifted to farmworkers and also shared on social media ‘using the #FarmworkerAppreciationDay hashtag.
At the bottom of the sheet there is space for your son or daughter to thoughtfully explain why they’re thankful for the hard work of our farmworkers!
Cook For Them
Food is a language of love and can be used to give thanks year-round. What better way to thank the people responsible for the food on your shelves than preparing a beautiful home cooked meal for them?
Feed the farmworker in your life using the ingredients they work to produce each day to whip up a batch of their favorite meal. Our Recipes page is an amazing place to find ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner using fresh ingredients!
Support Local Year-Round
Another amazing way to say thank you is buying the products your local farms produce when they are in season. Whether it’s greenhouse grown Tomatoes at your local grocery store, or corn from a stand on the side of the road, your food always tastes better when it’s fresh and has the fewest food miles associated with it as possible.
By supporting your local economy, you are showing confidence in the work of your local farmworkers and sending a strong message that you want them to continue producing our food for years to come!
Think Of Farmworkers All Year
However you decide to thank the farmworkers in your community, be sure they know that a single day could never repay them for the value they bring.
There are no words or actions that can truly say thank you for the feeling of that first bite of your favorite food, or the relief that comes from quickly eating a Bell Pepper to save yourself from getting hangry.
These personal moments we have with the food we eat occur multiple times a day and are irreplaceable. This is all made possible by farmworkers and for that we say thank you today and every day!
