January 2019 - 8

WORKERS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
about 80 H-2A workers - not even half
of our workforce. The the rest of them
are domestic.
" We hope to be a preferred employer
so that we can limit the guest-worker
program, " she said. " The H-2A people
we do have work really great, but it
tends to be a very expensive program.
It's not so much the cost, but where
do we put them, with the shortage of
housing in this area. We purchased and
converted some housing to H-2A but it
involved a lot of expense. "
" In terms of the workability of the
H-2A program, it's amazing, " she said.
" For the workers, they really come with
100 percent (focus), because for them
they are here to make as much money
as they can because they know that they
are going to go back home. "
Having the structure of a
committed workforce helps meet
production demands.
" If I have 80 (H-2A) employees,
I have 80 employees every day, "
Vazquez-Celaya said. " That's a big
change from domestic employees. We
may have started with 300 employees
on Monday, and the next day it starts
going down. This week on Tuesday it
went up, then Wednesday was the first
day of school. We need to figure out
how to make it consistent. "
Sundance Farms timeline
1986
* The Andrew and Williamson
(A&W) families found the
company and begin growing
tomatoes in Baja, Mexico.
1988
* Begin growing winter
strawberries in Baja, Mexico.
1989
* A&W introduces vine ripened
Roma tomatoes, which
quickly become a big hit.
1992
* Completion of the company's
first reverse osmosis water
system to improve the
quality and availability of
irrigation water.
1999
* A&W establishes a strategic
relationship with a leading
developer of high-flavor
strawberry varieties.
Government mandates also
challenge growers.
" We have added things in
California, such as three sick days.
Once employees qualify, they can
get three sick days in a season where
2000
* To deliver fresh produce on a
year-round basis, expansion
takes place to western Mexico.
2002
* In partnership with a
major restaurant company,
the company pioneers a
comprehensive food safety
and quality control program
on all farms.
* A&W begins growing in
shadehouse structures,
which significantly improves
product quality and reduces
the environmental footprint.
2005
* A&W merges with Sundance
Berry Farms, a California
strawberry producer, giving
the company a year-round
strawberry program.
they just have to call in and say 'I'm
sick.' There's no excuse or doctor's
note needed. In June, people usually
start qualifying, so every day there's
about 20 people who call in sick. Our
harvesters use them up. I understand,
* A&W launches its first
farm-to-store program,
significantly improving
freshness and quality and
reducing supply chain costs.
2006
* Using a state-of-the-art
facility, the company begins
grafting its own tomato
plants, allowing improvement
in yields and quality.
2008
* The company begins
travelling the world searching
for the best tasting tomato
varieties and establishing
relationships with outstanding
seed producers.
2010
* A&W expands production
to Central Mexico and
Southern Baja to increase its
geographical diversity.
because everyone has a personal
life, but now we have 20 people a day
calling in sick and they don't even have
to prove that they're sick. California
legislation makes for it to be a lot to
handle every single day. " VGN
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8 | VegetableGrowersNews.com
COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION | US7330 | 1118
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January 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2019
