The following information is from the Report on the Conditions of Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers in Michigan by the Michigan Civil Rights Commission.
*Michigan is the nation’s 4th largest employer of migrant farmworkers. Most of the migrant workers in Michigan are of Mexican descent but come from either Texas or Florida.
**In 2006, there was an estimated total of 90,716 seasonal farmworkers and nonworking family members.
35,148 were migrant farmworkers
10,652 were seasonal farmworkers
33,671 non-farmworkers (family members) in migrant homes
11,245 non-farmworkers (family members) in seasonal farmworker homes
41,038 individuals of both migrant and seasonal farmworker homes were under the age of 20.
38% of Michigan’s agricultural crops are dependent on hand-harvesting or processing.
West Michigan in particular is known as the “Fruit Belt” for its plethora of various different fruits. According to William Knudson from Michigan State University’s Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, in 2006 the total economic value generation by Michigan’s farm sectors as $6.69 billion and the crops that relied on migrant labor accounted for almost 58% of the total economic activity. It is evident that Michigan relies on migrant workers to harvest and pick the variety of fruits and vegetables that make this state a unique area for farming.
*Knudson, William A. The Impact of Migrant Farmworkers on Michigan Agriculture. July 2006. Working Paper. MSU Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, East Lansing.
**A Report on the Conditions of Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers in Michigan. Rep. Michigan Civil Rights Commission, Mar. 2010. Web. <http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdcr/MSFW-Conditions2010_318275_7.pdf>.
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