The Farmworker Institute of Education and Leadership Development (FIELD) forms a collaborative relationship called the Northwest Agriculture Economic Sector Consortium with employees, employers, non-profits, educational, and governmental agencies in the State of Oregon.  The purpose of the consortium is to build Oregon’s workforce and economic development system and strengthen agricultural communities. FIELD’s Consortium organized a research-based project to document the needs of Oregon’s agricultural industry.

Background and Methodology

FIELD’s Consortium contracted with the National Economic Development and Law Center and with Chemeketa Community College to assist with the research in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  200 limited English-speaking farm workers and 23 wine and nursery employers responded to the surveys. The surveys identified the skill sets, competencies, career ladders, and training needs of agricultural workers to increase the sustainability of agriculture.

Summary of Research Findings

            The following are the most crucial rearch findings of the FIELD’s Oregon Project. Vineyard farm workers should receive short-term training on pruning, grafting, disbudding, suckering, spraying, and labeling bottles;  in nurseries, FIELD should impart trainings on how to record plant information, grafting, pruning, treating weeds, diseases and pests, and spacing poinsettias.  Long-term training should include horticulture, irrigation systems, spraying, tractor and machinery operation, and management.  Female farm-workers need special training considerations.  In the vineyards, female workers can be moved to year-round employment by providing training specifically on thin grapes, lift catch wires, shoot positioning, suckering, disbudding, and leaf removal.  Farm workers also need to improve their soft (interpersonal) skills, language and communication, basic math, and leadership skills.  Other training needs are welding, equipment maintenance, safety training, model behavior, management, budgeting, organizational structure and operation, plant identification, computers, and spray applications.    

Recommendations

FIELD’s Consortium needs to develop training curricula incorporating intercultural and interpersonal skills sets. The development of professional curricula can lead to basic and mid-level certificates in viticulture and horticulture.  It must be noted that farm workers also express the desire for non agricultural training curricula in computers. 

Dissemination

FIELD’s Consortium is holding a symposium on May 18, 2006, to disseminate its research findings in Salem, Oregon.

For further information contact:

Teresa Figueroa, Ph.D.

Farmworker Institute of Education and Leadership Development

Email: teresaf@farmworkerinstitute.org