Contracted Labor on Family Farms
Nestled in the hills of Gambier, Glen Hill Orchard is the only registered migrant labor camp
in Knox County. Maureen Buchwald owns the labor camp and co-farms the 100 acre apple farm.
According to the most recent migrant census, there are 8,023 migrant workers, and
147 licensed labor camps across Ohio. Most of the camps are located in the northern and western portion of
the state.
Maureen Buchwald feels that the need for contract labor arose as the nature of the family
farm changed.
"In the past . . . farms were smaller and . . .more people were involved. . . . There are
very few people working on farms today. . . . When it comes time to do the crop we need
somewhere around twenty to help. When this farm was planted, corn farmers used to help
harvest this farm, but now that isn't possible because now a thousand acre corn farm maybe has
one or two people operating it. There's no way they can go pick apples for their next door
neighbor."
The Buchwald's solution for the shortage of available labor was to contract a family from
Bowling Green, Florida to come harvest the crop. Every August tenth or so workers
arrive at the farm. The family arrives in late August and stays for six weeks, picking the 50 thousand
bushels of apples which are shipped out every harvest. While in Ohio, the workers stay near the orchard, in
mobile homes which are licensed as a government approved labor camp. The
workers receive about $600 dollars a week and work from about 8am till dark. While in
Gambier the children of the family attend Wiggin Street School.
Although she originally tried to find locally based labor, Mrs.Buchwald has to come to enjoy
the family that works for her every fall. "We have a really great working relationship with them.
They are nice people and good at what they do." She remembers with fondness watching the
children grow up: "I'll never forget the first time it snowed . . . the children were so excited . . . they
ran outside . . . and were horrified to find out that it was cold." The workers also enjoy their stay
on the farm. "When they're out there in the trees they sing, which is nice".
After harvest time the family travels back to their home in Florida, and Maureen Buchwald
prepares her apple trees for winter. For this apple farmer, contracted labor is just part of the
seasonal cycle which characterizes life on an apple farm.
photo credits: Beth Belanger
E-Mail The Family Farm Project