Grapes and Growth in the Central Valley

Visiting the California Harvesters

This fall we made our way to Bakersfield to visit California Harvesters Inc. (CHI), a business we are proud to support that is changing the game for farm workers in California’s Central Valley.

CHI is an innovative business that moves beyond the status quo for workers in the state’s agricultural industry. Where growers would typically look to a farm labor contractor to supply a workforce, CHI has intervened with a new take on farm labor contracting. With a company that is managed by and for farm workers, CHI can supply the same workforce, and engage directly with growers for better wages, benefits, and standards in the industry. As noted in this profile by FastCompany, the magic of CHI is its ability to replace the usual middleman between workers and growers. CHI creates greater proximity between them to make sure there is greater transparency, accountability, and dignity on the fields that feed us.

The growth of CHI has been nothing short of amazing. Since its inception in April 2018, CHI has gone from an organization of 250 farm workers to approximately 800. We had the pleasure of having lunch with about 500 of them during our trip where the growth was on full display.

Joined by our partners at the J.M. Kaplan Fund and a number of other stakeholders, we sat down to tacos with the harvesters to learn about their lives, on and off the field. The solidarity among them was palpable. You could tell that this field was more than a workplace, it was a community. We learned about their stories, their trade, and their specific roles and responsibilities in the journey one grape takes from farm to table.

We learned about how CHI is making a difference in their workers’ lives. In addition to a bump in wages, better benefits, and increased access to health care, CHI has created an opportunity for workers to have a voice in the fields to advocate for things like better safety measures and pathways to upward mobility. Herein lies another piece of the CHI magic. Each member of the management team has direct and personal ties to farm work. So, in an industry notorious for exploitation of its workers, they are breaking through and rebuilding trust by actively and routinely asking workers to speak up about challenges, opportunities, and support they need. They are treating this specialized and skilled labor with the dignity it deserves, and it’s working.

We left the field inspired and intrigued, perhaps more so than when we arrived. Indeed, the California Harvesters are changing the rules of their game, and they’re changing lives. Their growth is as overwhelming as it is impressive. And their grapes, well, they were delicious.

To learn more about the California Harvesters click here or contact their Director of Human Resources, Jenny Ramirez at jramirez@caharvesters.com.