Here at TamBerry, we have around 30 employees in various programs. They are how we can provide strawberries year-round. Many people don’t realize how critical seasonal workers are to the day-to-day operations of a farm like this. The workers are dependable; they are a part of the team. Team is a word I use loosely; it’s a family, and even that word is used loosely, but it is truly a family of 30+ members working for a common goal.
They bring a lot to our atmospheres, the jokesters you can’t get by the alleyway without them calling out your name or giving you slack. Some people are quieter, but all of a sudden, there is a bag of apples on your desk, or they’ve found something interesting and want to show you. I grew up in the greenhouse, so the people you work with become your friends. You see them at church on Sundays; some came to my wedding. Our workers were at my Oma’s bedside when she was sick and came to her funeral to pay their respects. Seasonal workers have been intertwined throughout our lives for the past 10-15 years.
It is very honourable what these exceptional staff do with what they make here. It doesn’t just feed their families; it feeds their parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. It impacts their communities.
Without the migrant worker programs we have in place, it would be impossible for agriculture as we know it to work. Any high-input crop (veggies, fruits) needs people, and there aren’t enough people locally. So if you see these guys around, at the store, on the bus, playing soccer, be respectful of them; they really give their lives to be here. We don’t deserve to always have them here with us; they mean the world to us.