Two farms in Franklin County, Massachusetts, are raising funds to assist their Jamaican seasonal workers after Hurricane Melissa caused extensive damage in Jamaica.
Clark Brothers Orchards in Ashfield and Apex Orchards in Shelburne Falls have launched crowdfunding efforts to provide financial support to their employees affected by the storm. Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 system, was the strongest on record to hit Jamaica, bringing winds of up to 185 miles per hour and leaving at least 32 people dead.
"These guys are the heart and soul of the farm, and if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't still be here," said Naomi Clark, co-owner of Clark Brothers Orchards. "So we want to support them."
Clark established a FundRazr campaign (tinyurl.com/AshfieldOrchard), while Apex Orchards started a GoFundMe page (tinyurl.com/ApexOrchards), which temporarily paused after distributing US$7,905 among its eight Jamaican workers. Farm co-owner Courtney Basil said she dropped the men off at Bradley International Airport early Monday and may reopen the fundraiser once she determines the additional level of support required.
The Jamaican employees at Apex Orchards have returned home, while those at Clark Brothers Orchards will remain until the week before Christmas. Clark said some workers live in coastal areas that were heavily impacted, with reports of flooded homes, damaged roofs, and loss of vehicles. Some workers went several days without contact with family members after the hurricane made landfall.
"It was the most somber that I had ever seen them, which is understandable," Clark said. "The donations really lifted their spirits. They could not stop saying thank you and how blessed they are."
Apex Orchards employs the same eight Jamaican workers each season, with one having worked there for 38 years. Some are second-generation employees under the federal H-2A program, which allows U.S. agricultural employers to hire foreign nationals for seasonal work. Clark said two of the workers arrive in April for pruning, while others join in mid-July.
Clark Brothers Orchards aims to raise US$10,000 before the remaining workers return home. Clark said the family farm employs 16 Jamaicans in total, eight of whom have already left following the harvest. The farm cultivates apples and seedless table grapes.
Clark, who has visited Jamaica twice, said she has seen the farmlands where some of the workers come from. "I'd go every year if I could afford it," she said. "It's amazing. The people are just incredible."
Source: Greenfield Recorder
