Taking Stock of Farmworker Needs in Florida

Information by State  Print version   A surveyor interviews a mother who picks and packs tomatoes

The County of Manatee and the Farmworker Alliance (now known as the Latino Community Network) realized that although 18,000 farmworkers and family members live in Manatee County, they were woefully underserved by housing, health, and legal services providers. Why?

Lack of understanding
A primary reason was the lack of data to back up claims about the significant needs of the Manatee County farmworkers and their families. Manatee County Commissioner Patricia Glass explains, "there is a terrible lack of understanding of the problems. People need to understand the depth and intensity of the problems, and that this is not a static population but a large population that is increasing."

Survey launched
Thanks to a $70,000 investment from HUD, the Latino Community Network, county agencies, nonprofits, and community stakeholders launched an in-depth survey of farmworkers that will leave no doubt as to the particular needs this population faces. Specially trained surveyors hit the streets and completed over 100 of the targeted 600 interviews in the first month alone.

The Community Services Department of Manatee County, Area Health Education Center, Healthy Start Coalition, and other partners will use this concrete data to meet the needs of this significant subpopulation.

Local elected officials have been supportive, and local media attention has been high and very positive. As Commissioner Glass sees it, the study can demonstrate "the depth of the contribution that hardworking farmworkers bring to the economy."