I visited a fern farm where migrant farm workers, mostly from Mexico, come to pick ferns that will serve as decoration for flower arrangements.
The atmosphere is calm and it’s a beautiful landscape. These farms usually are very damp and wet. The people picking ferns or other plants get their clothes soaked for most of the day.
During winter and spring it can be freezing, especially because these plants must grow under deep shadow, either wise they get burnt by the sun.
In the summer, the humidity can make it very difficult to breathe.
The dampness can produce skin infections and fungus on people’s feet, which itch a lot and can lead to infections.
One of the workers there, who wished to keep his identity anonymous, said that it didn’t matter if he put plastic bags underneath or on top of his clothes — he would always end up soaking wet. This depends on the type of fern they are picking, since some fern need more water than others.
Juliana Jimenez 