Field Notes is a blog where Student Action with Farmworkers students share stories of their outreach, organizing, and advocacy work, and where farmworkers share their own stories and hopes for change, writing in the language they feel most comfortable.
To access our archive of past blog posts, visit our Field Notes Tumblr site here.
I Have A Giant Community Of Support To Rely On
Sam Hernandez, Cosecha Intern, 2022 During the beginning of my participation with the Cosecha Fellowship, I didn't know what truths I was going to have to face about myself in this field of work. From the very first retreat, I realized we were all going to face the hard topics and truths that surround this work. When we looked into “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” by Paulo Freire, we discussed the topic of white supremacy and how that shows up into every facet of our lives and our ability to be a leader. I learned over that retreat that I have…
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There Is A Place For Everyone At The Table
Maggie Helms, Cosecha Intern, 2022 Everyone has to eat. No matter who you are or what you’re good at, there’s one thing that unites us all - food. Through the various SAF programs I’ve participated in over the years, I’ve learned so much about the hands that pick that food. Not just about the hands that harvest, but the people, and their struggles, their joy, their families, and their unique, individual strengths. These countless stories and connections have given me a deeper appreciation of the individual within the collective - and this past year was one of many personal and…
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I Come From A Proud Mexican Family
Sofia Garcia, Levante Intern 2022 My name is Sofia Garcia, I’m from a small town named Newton Grove. I come from a proud Mexican family. I’m taking part in this program because I think everyone should educate themselves more about on-going social topics, something that interests me. I’m excited to meet new and different people from various backgrounds and areas. I don’t think I’m afraid of anything in particular but I guess I’m scared to not push myself to do more/better.
Together, I hope we collectively inspire hope and justice
Teresa Vazquez, SOL Intern 2022 Hello! My name is Teresa Vazquez, and I am a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying English and Political Science. I am beyond grateful to be able to spend my final year as an undergraduate student working with SAF as a Solidaridad intern. The question of where I come from is particularly interesting as I am the bridge of two cultures within my family. While I was born and raised in the small, rural town of Dobson, North Carolina, my parents are both from the state of Michoacán in Mexico. I believe…
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I believe my pastoral call must be a political one
Lauren Moore, SOL Intern 2022 Hey everyone! My name is Lauren Moore and I am originally from Glendale, Arizona. I’m currently pursuing my Masters of Divinity at Duke Divinity with certificates in Gender, Sexuality, Theology and Ministry and in Faith-Based Organizing and Advocacy. While I’ve always been deeply interested in social justice, I wanted to pursue human rights in some form of vocation after I worked in a group home as an Assistant Manager for a year. Here, the evil reality of systemic racism and oppression was made clear to me. The children I interacted with and cared for were…
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One camp at a time, everything is possible
Stefanie Vidal, 2022 SAF internNC Farmworkers' Project Sweaty scrubs, mosquito bites, and long late-night rides. This is what a typical day in the Benson office looks like. My day usually consists of doing interpretation and outreach and I realize my hard work is worth it after seeing many receive the care they deserve. Many farmworkers are unaware of the resources that are available to them, making outreach essential. I realize outreach is a never-ending process since there are constantly new workers that arrive throughout the year. During the documentary visit we made to a labor camp in June, I met…
The little things
Diana Hernandez, 2022 SAF internSC Legal Services At first I was scared to be placed so far away from the rest of my peers in South Carolina. At our orientation, I felt so comfortable because everyone was so welcoming and the thought of leaving or just being far away from everyone scared me. A month ago, I would’ve thought about just wanting to go home and going back to something familiar. Today, I love everything about my placement. I love my host and her family, as both a host and supervisor. I have felt so at home that it made…
SAF opened my eyes
Jennifer Salazar Sanchez, 2022 Program AssistantStudent Action with Farmworkers As a program assistant for this year's Into the Fields cohort, I learned so much about how critical it is for organizations to work among themselves to make change. Farmworkers include men, women, and children who often face issues that range from health, legal, educational, and environmental challenges. Yet, this summer exposed to me the importance of each of the sponsor organizations that SAF works with and the critical role each plays within the farmworker movement. SAF opened my eyes and exposed me to many areas that I thought I would…
Deciding to go up to the bus
Nathaly Trinidad Flores, 2022 SAF internSC Migrant Education Program Being confident in your work and intentions is a mindset I quickly had to adopt once starting to work with the South Carolina Migrant Education Program. This confidence helps make the message and services we are trying to provide more valuable and enriching to farmworkers. In the early days of my internship, it was incredibly intimidating to walk up to workers and start to share our “elevator pitch”. The reason being that I am a stranger going into either their home or interrupting their personal time to ask them personal questions.…
We survive by sticking together
Celeste Ortega-Felix, 2022 SAF internEl Vínculo Hispano Over the past year, I have been struggling with hopelessness and the anxiety and fear that comes with not knowing what is going to happen to one’s family, community, and the larger world in the near future. Things seem to be heading towards increased destruction, violence, and struggle for communities across the world. With all this awareness, there has been a pit of dread growing in my stomach over time and it has made me more conscious of how I have been spending my present days. In my first blog for this summer’s…
Perserverance + Courage
Janet Rivera, 2022 SAF internEnlace Latino Most days this summer were filled with me doing work virtually, whether looking for farmworkers’ resources or preparing for my next outreach visit. Still, on the occasions that I did theatre or outreach, it was always a memorable experience. In some ways, I felt connected to the farmworkers as if they were familiar to me, a sense that, in some ways, they remind me of my parents. All of these farmworkers work hard to provide for themselves and their families. But while they may be exhausted in the afternoons after working in the fields,…
Growth
Christian Sanchez, 2022 SAF internNC Farmworkers' Project This plant resembles a lot of things in my opinion. To me, it resembles "GROWTH". Growth in a way that things can change for the better. This is what I want for my job, my peers, and for the people who work and suffer in farm work. I took this photo at a campsite where farmworkers grew this herb near where they live. That day we met with the farmworkers to do our documentary project with them. This involved the farmworkers photopraphing an image and writing about what that photo represents from their…
Values that align with my own
Grace Calus, 2022 SAF internFarmworker Advocacy Network As an intern with SAF, the NC Justice Center, and the Farmworker Advocacy Network, I find that all 3 of these organizations hold and highlight values that align with my own. I see these values internally through the organizational structures and leadership within these organizations and externally through their work with communities. All of these organizations work together in some way for the same goal of liberating farmworkers from oppression and dangers from various sources. They utilize methods of not just serving workers, but listening to them and echoing their voices rather than…
Witnessing the power of hope firsthand
– Sophie Therber, 2022 SAF internGood Samaritan Clinic I feel very fortunate to work at a site that prioritizes farmworker outreach. We do outreach 3 nights per week, and I feel that it provides an incredible opportunity for me to see the direct impact of the work we are doing. During outreach, the Good Samaritan Clinic provides services such as health assessments and patient intake, COVID vaccines, and bringing a doctor to the fields to address any health concerns the patients have. Last week, the new mobile unit arrived, which is so exciting! The mobile allows us to take blood…
New Adventures Start At 8:30am
– Jenifer Caceres-Garcia, 2022 SAF internAppHealth My day typically starts at 8:30am with a fresh clean pairs of scrubs on, my backpack all packed from the night before, and my lunchbox in my hands. I'm ready to head out with AppHealthCare in Sparta, Alleghany county. First, I go inside to the health education room to see what my coworkers need from me. My supervisor and coworkers are very passionate about their work and I can see that the minute they sit next to me, they start working. I am usually in charge of making and organizing health education materials: from…
A bountiful harvest of social change
– Coltan Compton, 2022 SAF internEl Vinculo Hispano It was an expectedly hot and humid North Carolina summer day; like most days of the season, it was just shy of unbearable. The vehicle of interns I was in trembled on the gravel road towards our destination, a modest labor camp of eight farmworkers in Dunn. We would be doing documentary work, discussing and creating projects with farmworkers centered around their personal goals and visions for the future of their occupation.I was both eager and gently apprehensive about the day. I have wanted this internship to be one where I seek…
Worthwhile and Impactful
– Daniela Aguilar Carranza, 2022 SAF internGood Samaritan Clinic Work at Good Samaritan Clinic has kept me incredibly busy this past month but it has all been work that has left me feeling satisfied and fulfilled. All the work I have done has felt worthwhile and impactful; not once have I felt like I have been put to do busy, meaningless tasks. I have gotten a lot of practice doing health assessments and clinic enrollments for migrant and seasonal farmworkers alike. I have gotten some experience with taking vitals for patients at the clinic as well which include taking blood…
I witnessed courage
– Brenda Dimas-Lopez, 2022 SAF internNew Frame LLC Given the opportunity to work at the General Assembly this summer has shown me plenty of injustices, but has also shown me the sense of community among the people who want to fix those issues at a state level.Towards the end of the session, Senate Bill 101, an anti-immigrant bill that would require local sheriffs to work with ICE, started moving through committees and I saw several passionate people urge their representatives to vote against this bill. I heard these representatives use hateful and xenophobic language towards my community. I saw the…
My usual day at work...
– Hector Guerrero, 2022 SAF internLegal Aid NC-Farmworker Unit My usual day at work begins with waking up at 7 am to get into the shower and then make breakfast. I then drive 10 minutes to get into the Legal Aid of North Carolina building in downtown Raleigh to begin my day at the office. My work day typically starts with greeting everyone at the office before sitting at my desk. During my time in the office I have been educated extensively on the injustices that migrant farmworkers face and the way the system handles those injustices. I have learned…
Easing the education and language barrier
- Citlaly Marquez, 2022 SAF internSC Migrant Education Program Realizing that I am halfway through the summer in my work is quite crazy. I have been working with the South Carolina Migrant Education Program and it has been one of the most educational and fulfilling things that I have ever done. Our job consists of a lot of outreach and traveling. Our program covers the whole state, so recruiters need to be all over to reach as many farmworkers as possible. On a typical day, we travel to 3-4 farmworker camps and search for youth or families to register for…
Making a change while learning about social justice
– Adriana Torres, 2022 SAF internEpiscopal Farm Worker Ministry Hello, my name is Adriana Torres. I am a rising sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a daughter of immigrant parents who have worked in food processing companies for the majority of their life. I have grown up and lived my entire life in North Carolina, with fields across the street and tractors on all our main roads. Agriculture is one of the biggest and most important industries here and I have become aware of how essential farmworkers are for our economy, our state, and for…
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I am from el campo, from fresas and sandias...
– Estefany Barajas Valadez, 2022 SAF internNC Farmworkers' Project Por generaciones mi familia ha trabajado como trabajadores del campo. Hoy en día mi padre y madre continúan trabajando en una granja en la cual cultivan fresas, elotes, sandías, tomate y mucho más. Ellos me enseñaron el valor del trabajo con el sudor de su frente y su ropa llena de tierra. Para mis padres, la educación siempre ha sido lo más importante para sus hijos y es por eso que mis hermanos y yo continuamos estudiando. Hoy 6 Junio del 2022 marca exactamente 29 días desde que me gradué de…
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I feel certain in the direction my feet are carrying me
– Grace May, 2022 SAF internUnited for a Fair Economy This prompt is deceptively easy as I am 20 and still have no idea who I am. I know the basics… my name is Grace, I’m from Virginia, I have purple hair, I like pineapple on pizza. When I start going deeper, I become unsure of myself. I find doubt, questions like if I’m on the right path, if I belong, if I should share my story or hold back. Throughout my life, I pledged to make myself valuable to others so they wouldn’t leave. If I was not the…
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My future, perseverance, and values are who I am
– Yadira Paz-Martinez, 2022 SAF internNC Justice Center In second grade, students start to learn the rule of stacking numbers to multiply. As I was given this assignment, I struggled. I did not understand how other students comprehended a topic so complicated. Observing another classmate, I asked her, “How did you learn to multiply so fast?” Her simple response: “My parents taught me.” I came home excited, hoping the same would happen to me, that my father would sit down and teach me to multiply. But that was not the case. At the age of seven, it was I who…
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I was opened up to a whole new world
– José Duran, 2022 SAF Intern, NC Farmworkers' Project Who would’ve thought just an average man from a small town in Idaho would be all the way on the eastern side of the United States working towards farmworker justice? I never imagined I would be in this position doing something so impactful. Let me tell you who I am first, and where I come from.I am from la espiga y la cebolla, where these crops seem to be the only thing a farmworker in Idaho sees.I am from random carne asadas on Saturday, to posole and tamales every time I…