About Iowa's Farmworkers

Who are Iowa's Farmworkers? 

Migrant Farmworkers: 

Approximately 1,000 to 2,000 migrant farmworkers come to Iowa each Spring, Summer and Fall, primarily from south Texas. Others come from Florida, California, and other southwest states. Many are Hispanic. Many do not speak English very well or at all. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of migrants are U.S. Citizens or legal residents. 

While they are in Iowa, these migrants perform work such as seed corn detasseling, harvesting, and sorting; walk beans; and work in other crops such as flowers, green houses, apples, cucumbers, potatoes, melons, etc. Generally, the entire family travels together and many of the family members work together. The families generally have annual incomes below $10,000. They are proud working families that resist taking welfare, and want to earn honest wages for their hard labors. 

Many of the worker protections that most people take for granted on the job don't cover these workers--minimum wage, health and safety standards, child work regulations, health benefits, etc. The majority of Migrant workers return to their home-base, but some decide that Iowa offers an improved lifestyle for their families, and they settle-out here. 

Seasonal Farmworkers: 

In Iowa also reside as many as 10,000 low income seasonal farmworkers. These individuals reside year-around in Iowa and perform seasonal agricultural work for other farmers. These may be individuals who support their families by being general farmhands, working in hog confinement, sweet corn processing, egg production, or performing other tasks around the farm.