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Agricultural Farmworkers in the City of Oxnard

Jocelyn Alfaro

Department of Health Science, CSUCI

HLTH 102: Community Health Organizations (Wednesdays 4:00pm)

Professor Juan R. Betancourt

May 6, 2020
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Agricultural Farmworkers in the City of Oxnard

Determinants of health in a community include policymaking, social factors, health

services, individual behavior, and biology and genetics. Particularly agricultural workers in

Oxnard are directly impacted by social factors which include both physical and social

determinants. They affect health, functioning and the quality of life of an individual (Healthy

People, 2020). Due to the global pandemic I chose to ask those in my household to help me with

this assignment. I asked my mother, father and sister to define health issues that affect

agricultural workers in Oxnard, California. I gave them the option to either draw or find an

online photograph that represents what health issues they face. After giving them a few days, I

asked to see their photographs and asked them to describe why they chose it and to make

recommendations on how the issue can be improved for agricultural workers.

The city of Oxnard is surrounded by mountain views and is located within the county of

Ventura along the Pacific Ocean shores. The city is surrounded by a wide selection of retail

stores, diverse restaurants, housing, and forms of entertainment (Oxnard Chamber of Commerce,

2020, para 5-6). According to Oxnard Chamber of Commerce (2020), “Incorporated in 1903 as a

small agricultural community, Oxnard today is a vibrant and diverse city that celebrates its

heritage, multiculturalism and natural beauty while proactively developing a prosperous,

innovative and healthy future for residents, businesses and visitors” (para. 3). Oxnard is known

as both an industrial and commercial development sector. Oxnard Chamber of Commerce (2020)

states the following:

Oxnard is surrounded by some of the most fertile agricultural land in the world. More

than 12,000 acres in Ventura County are dedicated to growing strawberries, primarily in

Oxnard. Oxnard is a region with many employment opportunities in a variety of areas,

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such as retail, trade industries, health care services and educational institutions (para 9-

10).

The city of Oxnard has a population of 210,037 residents making it the largest city in the

county of Ventura and the largest city in California. The average household size is four people

and the median household income is about $64,837. Oxnard is a diverse community and its

population is estimated to be 74% Hispanic, 14% Caucasian, 8% Asian, 3%Black, and 1% other.

The average temperature in Oxnard is 70° F being the highest and a 53° F being the lowest.

is 70° F being the highest and a 53° F being the lowest. On average the city of Oxnard has 276

days of sunshine and participation averages 17.4 inches a year. Rainfall occurs during the months

of November through March (Oxnard Chamber of Commerce, 2020, para 7).

My mother being the first participant explained that one major health issue agricultural

workers face is back, shoulder, hands, hips and arm pain. She stated overall body mechanics. She

chose the following photograph:

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My mother used to be an agricultural worker for a couple of years and stated that she

understands first-hand what it does to their body. My mother explained that she chose this

photograph because you can see how their backs are not aligned properly and how they have to

carry heavy things. In addition, she added that while she worked in the strawberry industry there

were many times where she had to sit or get on her knees in order to ease her back pain because

it was hard on her body to do the same body movements for long periods of time. National Farm

Worker Ministry (2018) states “Farm workers perform repetitive picking motions, bend over for

hours at a time, lift heavy buckets of produce, and operate machinery like tractors, pesticide

applicators, and fruit pickers that can lead to mishaps and injuries on the job (para. 2). When

asked to recommend a way for improvement in this particular health issue she stated to allow

agricultural farmworkers rest more often and get longer break and lunch times. She added that

they would only give them thirty minutes to eat their lunch even if they worked a total of ten

hours.

My father being the second participant added that agricultural farmworkers are exposed

to toxic chemicals from pesticides and it affects their overall health. He chose the photograph

below showing a farmworker spraying toxic chemicals on the crops:

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He said a way to improve the health of agricultural workers is by spraying the toxic chemicals

that kill insects, rodents, weeds and fungi at night using a helicopter instead of a person. He

stated that this will lower the chances of them being exposed directly to them. Exposure to

pesticides can cause underlying health issues such as reproductive problems, birth defects,

diabetes, cancer, autism, memory loss, and Alzheimer’s and much more (National Farm Worker

Ministry, 2018, para. 15). Physical determinants affect agricultural workers overall health and

quality-of-life. The weather, climate change, and plants all contribute to the health of agricultural

workers.

Lastly, my sister was the third parcipitant and she stated that agricultural workers face

barriers when accessing healthcare. She stated that based on her understanding many

farmworkers come to the United States as immigrants and most of the time they don’t have the

money or speak the language to access health care services. My sister chose the photograh below

that shows a clipart of a hospital.

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Lighthall (2001) stated “California's agricultural workers have little access to health care and

high rates of obesity, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia (para.1). Farmworker diets and

health is poor and many of them don’t seek medical attention. A survey conducted to California

agricultural farmworkers by the California Institute for Rural Studies showed that 80% percent

of farmworkers reported having no health insurance and 34% reported that because they were

immigrants, they do not have access to public health insurance such as Medi-Cal (Lighthall,

2001, para. 2). When asked what could be done to improve this area to help farmworkers, my

sister stated that more low-cost clinics could be created specifically for farmworkers with low

incomes in Oxnard and all over California. Lack or limited health services impacts an

individual’s health status tremendously (Healthy People, 2020, para 13).

According to the Ventura County Human Services Agency (n.d.), the Farmworker

Resource Program helps Ventura County farmworkers including those working in Oxnard fields

by helping them in a variety of ways. The programs primary location is located in Oxnard and

opened on July 1, 2019. Additional satellite offices were opened in Santa Paula and Fillmore in

California (Ventura County Human Services Agency, n.d., para. 1-2). Ventura County Human

Services Agency (n.d.) states “The program is designed to build trust and relationships among

the agricultural community, and to assist in facilitating prompt resolutions to workplace concerns

such as payroll issues and working conditions, navigating available public agencies, and

leveraging existing resources (para. 2).

Furthermore, the Reiter Affiliated Companies established La Clinica FreSalud. La Clinica

FreSalud is located in Oxnard, Watsonville, Santa Maria, and Salinas. The clinics primary

purpose is to provide farmworkers and their families access to affordable healthcare. The

healthcare provided is made available at a low cost and provides intervention, prevention, and
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maintenance healthcare services. La Clinica FreSalud aims to improve the wellbeing and overall

health of farmworkers and their families (Reiter Affiliated Companies, 2019, para 1-2). Reiter

Affiliated Companies (2019) states “At La Clinica FreSalud employees and their families are

offered a welcoming and knowledgeable environment with low cost – high quality patient care

services” (para. 2).

All in all, the weather, climate change, exposure to toxic chemicals, barriers to healthcare

access and physical hazards all contribute to the overall health of agricultural workers. Working

in the agricultural industry is one of the most hazardous. Not only are the farmworkers impacted

directly but families are at risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries (Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, 2019, para 1). Farmworkers in Oxnard and all over the world put their overall

wellbeing and health at risk in order to provide healthy foods on our plates therefore deserve

better access to healthcare, more breaks during work hours, better pay, and more protection from

toxic chemicals.
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Resources

County of Ventura Human Services Agency . (2020, April 23). Farmworker Resources. Retrieved

from https://www.ventura.org/human-services-agency/farmworker-resources/

Healthy People . (2020). Determinants of Health. Retrieved from

https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Determinants-of-Health

Lighthall D. (2001). The poor health of farm workers. The Western journal of medicine, 175(4),

223–224. https://doi.org/10.1136/ewjm.175.4.223

National Farmworker Ministry . (2018, June). Health & Safety. Retrieved from

http://nfwm.org/farm-workers/farm-worker-issues/health-safety/

Oxnard Chamber of Commerce. (2020). About Oxnard. Retrieved from

https://www.oxnardchamber.org/

Reiter Affiliated Companies . (2019). La Clínica Fresalud. Retrieved from

http://www.berry.net/careers/la-clinica-fresalud/