National Farmworker Awareness Week
March 25 - 31

A week of action for students and community members to honor farmworkers' important contributions and to raise awareness about the issues they face

Let’s take action together to honor the critical contributions farmworkers make!

Why do we celebrate National Farmworker Awareness Week?

Farmworkers feed the world- 85% of our fresh fruits and vegetables are handpicked. There are an estimated 2.5-3 million men, women, and children who work in the fields in the United States. Farms are in every state, including yours, yet farmworkers remain largely invisible and continue to live and work in horrific conditions. We demand dignity for farmworkers!

Farm work is one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. The people who plant and harvest our fruits and vegetables suffer from the highest rate of toxic chemical injuries of any other workers in the nation and have higher incidences of heat stress, dermatitis, urinary tract infections, parasitic infections, and tuberculosis than other wage-earners. We demand safe working conditions for farmworkers!

Farmworkers are treated differently under the law. Overtime, unemployment insurance, and even protection when joining a union are not guaranteed under federal law. Farmworkers were excluded from almost all major federal laws passed in the 1930s. The Fair Labor Standards Act was amended in 1978 to mandate minimum wage for farmworkers on large farms only and it still has not made provisions for overtime. We demand just living and working conditions for farmworkers and an end to unfair treatment under the law.

SAF coordinates the week of awareness by providing training, support, and resources that enable our partners across the country to organize actions on their campuses and in their communities. In short, SAF provides resources and support, and you coordinate the action!

As an educator who is a former farmworker, celebrating NFAW gives me an opportunity to advocate for farmworkers and to encourage my students, all of whom are migrant students, to take action."

– Alma Young, Valdosta State University CAMP

Join SAF as we fight for safe places for farmworkers to live and work!

Sign up as a NFAW partner

NFAW Partners receive training, materials, and support to hold their actions
Social media actions

Use our digital toolkit to take action and raise awareness online
Add An Event

Add your event to the national calendar
Find An Event

Find an event near you on our national calendar

Rallies + Marches

Stage a rally or march in connection with a farmworker-led campaign to show your solidarity
Film Screenings + Documentaries

Host a farmworker-related film screening and discussion

Learn more
Social Media

Access our digital toolkit to take action and raise awareness online

Learn more
Clothing + Supply Drives

Host a drive for long-sleeve shirts or hygiene kits for farmworkers or participate in the César Chávez Blood Drive Challenge
Teach-ins + Presentations

Use our sample agenda with links to resources and sample activities

Learn more
Panel Discussions

Invite a panel of farmworkers to speak on your campus or community