Every agricultural season, in addition to growing fresh and healthy food, the agricultural companies that are members of our Veggies from Mexico community, such as Del Campo y Asociados A.C., see thousands of inspiring stories of their workers, most of them migrants from other states of the Mexican Republic.

This is the case of Adasha Juarez Morales, a very enthusiastic young woman who is grateful for the opportunity for professional and personal development that she has by collaborating with the company; she describes Del Campo y Asociados as the best place to work. Adasha is originally from Oaxaca de Juarez and has more than eight years of collaborating in agriculture, she travels with her parents and 6 of her siblings, three of them are still minors who depend on their parents, and three others are of legal age, and are also workers in the company; even being far from home they can still feel at home.

“Whenever I return to Oaxaca, I am always asked what Culiacan is like, what are the tomato plants like? To which I answer that here is the best place to work, since we have friendly and great working environment, very good housing facilities, medical services, and many other things, and some of them whom I have invited have already come to the company to work”.

Adasha describes that they feel very comfortable working in the company because they always feel a close and trusting relationship with the staff that collaborates in the company, she also shares that she has been a user of the benefits offered by the company such as education, since the company has daycare, preschool, elementary and high school within its shelter facilities and offers transportation to high school for young people who go to educational institutions in the community. These benefits they have in terms of social responsibility are one of the reasons why they choose to come from their place of origin to work in Sinaloa.

On the topic that was addressed in the Analysis Forum: Young people in the national primary sector that was held in the Senate of the Republic to contribute their opinions to the draft Official Mexican Norm NOM-038-STPS-2023 that addresses the work situation of 16 and 17-year-olds in agricultural, forestry, sawing, forestry, hunting and fishing activities; to identify those of lower risk, and that do not involve the use of chemicals, handling of machinery and heavy vehicles. Adasha believes that it would be very positive for young people between 16 and 18 years old to have access to paid work in the field, taking care that it is not in risky activities, since in many cases young people of these ages already have a family economic responsibility; some are already married and even have children. It is also important to encourage these young people to continue with their studies, which is one of the things that the agricultural company supports through all the benefits offered to its workers.

She has been a player in the Permanent Sports League, organized by Profamilia de Jornaleros IAP of the Culiacan River Farmers Association, in which the children of farm workers are invited to compete in different categories. Adasha laughs and shares that she is sure that if they had had the opportunity to finish that tournament they would have won, since due to the pandemic they could not finish, but she still shares that it was a great experience for them and it is one of the things she has enjoyed the most in the last few years that she has returned to work in the company.

Adasha says that every agricultural cycle that she is back, besides the work, there are many stories of the people she lives with day by day, her friends; those who fall in love, those who get married, and some even return with their small children who begin to receive the services of the daycare centers where free food is offered to the little ones and she comments that it is in these cases when people like her value even more the benefits that the company offers, such as the medical service; where they can receive prompt medical assistance for their first health needs since the clinics are located inside the neighborhood.

Adasha shares with us that she and her family have been coming back to Del Campo y Asociados every agricultural season for 8 years and she comments that every year they find improvements and feel happier working there.

We are very grateful to Adasha for her time and her willingness to share her enthusiasm and her experience in the fresh produce industry, we are very happy to have the opportunity to learn the stories of the employees of the agricultural companies.