I Dream of Immokalee by Cheryl Queen

For almost a week after I returned from Immokalee I dreamt of it every night—the dusty barren parking lot where harvesters gather before dawn in hopes of being selected to work; a certain savageness from being on the outskirts of the Everglades; and the staggering disparity in wealth of the lush gated neighborhoods of Fort Myers, less than an hour away. But I also dreamt of shy smiles, earnest answers and resolution mixed with incredible kindness from everyone I met.

Immokalee, Florida, grows most of our country’s winter tomatoes. It also has been described as “ground zero for modern-day slavery”*—federal civil rights officials have prosecuted seven slavery operations involving more than 1,000 workers in Florida’s fields since 1997.

Called to Question
My introduction to Immokalee came about through an email from a student asking for a meeting to discuss working conditions in the Florida tomato fields. As vice president of corporate communication for the largest food service company in the United States, Compass Group, it wasn’t the first time I received an email from an activist. But this one had particular meaning because the topic was the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW)—an organization I had heard of through the PC(USA)’s Campaign for Fair Food.

Interested in learning more about Immokalee, I planned a meeting. Several colleagues and I met with representatives from the Student/Farmworker Alliance and a woman from Just Harvest USA. They implored us to visit Immokalee, meet the harvesters, see the conditions and—as a company that purchases tomatoes in large volume—make an agreement to increase the wages of harvesters.

What does Cheryl learn about the working conditions in the tomato fields? And how does she and her company respond to the charge to increase harvesters' wages? To find out, read the full text of th is article in the March/April 2010 issue of Horizons.

Call 866/802-3635 or subscribe to Horizons or order the March/April 2010 issue (HZN-10-210; $4 plus shipping).

Cheryl Queen is a member of Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is involved with social justice issues, particularly food justice and agriculture; she can be reached at cherylqueen15@gmail.com.

Photo courtesy of Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW).

Other Articles Online This Issue


What does Cheryl learn about the working conditions in the tomato fields? And how does she and her company respond to the charge to increase harvesters' wages? To find out, read the full text of th is article in the March/April 2010 issue of Horizons. Call 866/802-3635 or subscribe to Horizons or order the March/April 2010 issue (HZN-10-210; $4 plus shipping).	I Dream of Immokalee by Cheryl Queen For almost a week after I returned from Immokalee I dreamt of it every night—the dusty barren parking lot where harvesters gather before dawn in hopes of being selected to work; a certain savageness from being on the outskirts of the Everglades; and the staggering disparity in wealth of the lush gated neighborhoods of Fort Myers, less than an hour away. But I also dreamt of shy smiles, earnest answers and resolution mixed with incredible kindness from everyone I met. Immokalee, Florida, grows most of our country’s winter tomatoes. It also has been described as “ground zero for modern-day slavery”—federal civil rights officials have prosecuted seven slavery operations involving more than 1,000 workers in Florida’s fields since 1997. Called to Question* My introduction to Immokalee came about through an email from a student asking for a meeting to discuss working conditions in the Florida tomato fields. As vice president of corporate communication for the largest food service company in the United States, Compass Group, it wasn’t the first time I received an email from an activist. But this one had particular meaning because the topic was the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW)—an organization I had heard of through the PC(USA)’s Campaign for Fair Food. Interested in learning more about Immokalee, I planned a meeting. Several colleagues and I met with representatives from the Student/Farmworker Alliance and a woman from Just Harvest USA. They implored us to visit Immokalee, meet the harvesters, see the conditions and—as a company that purchases tomatoes in large volume—make an agreement to increase the wages of harvesters. What does Cheryl learn about the working conditions in the tomato fields? And how does she and her company respond to the charge to increase harvesters' wages? To find out, read the full text of th is article in the March/April 2010 issue of Horizons. Call 866/802-3635 or subscribe to Horizons or order the March/April 2010 issue (HZN-10-210; $4 plus shipping). Cheryl Queen is a member of Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is involved with social justice issues, particularly food justice and agriculture; she can be reached at cherylqueen15@gmail.com. Photo courtesy of Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). Other Articles Online This Issue Let My People Go . . . Human Trafficking 101 I Dream of Immokalee Joining the Battle Against Sexual Exploitation of Children: ECPAT USA Going in Circles (On the Road Again) What One PW Is Doing (One TassaTag at a Time) Discernment (Who Is Leading?) Mosaic Faithful Parenting (Whose Child Is This?)	Current Issue MAR/APR 2010 About This Issue Contents FREE Resource How to Use In Our Next Issue to Horizons or call (866) 802-3635 the March/April 2010 issue, HZN-10-210 ($4 plus shipping/handling)

Home \| Current Issue \| Archives \| Bible Study \| Web Exclusives \| PW