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The advance of technology and the decline of immigration have profoundly changed the nature of agricultural work. But toiling in the fields remains difficult and dangerous, even as it requires more mechanical expertise from workers. And agricultural work remains seasonal, forcing repeated relocations and putting financial and housing pressures on working families. As a result, many of the people who pick and process our fruit, nuts, and vegetables are in poor health themselves. Where are the best jobs in California’s agricultural sector? What changes must be made—in policy, enforcement, community, and in our health and economic systems—to improve current farm jobs, and the future prospects of those who work them?

Zócalo invites our in-person audience to continue the conversation with our speakers and each other at a post-event reception with complimentary drinks and small bites.

Live simultaneous ASL and Spanish translation of the discussion will be provided.

“What Is a Good Job Now?” is a series supported by The James Irvine Foundation, focusing on workers in the low-wage sectors of California’s economy, in communities across the state. Public programs and essays, grounded in workers’ experiences and realities, will explore how to make the hardest jobs more rewarding, and make life better for those who do them.