PULLMAN, Wash. – “It’s not every day that we see a Washington State University vice president and other administrators up on ladders and picking apples,” quipped Josue Estrada, WSU College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) director. But that’s exactly what happened in the fall when Estrada invited them to visit an apple orchard and fruit packing warehouse in Wenatchee, Wash.For the second year, Estrada and the CAMP staff organized an orchard visit to give members of CAMP’s advisory board first-hand knowledge and an appreciation for the hard work performed by the state’s farm workers.
Among those who made the trip were John Fraire, vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment, and his assistant vice presidents, Sally Texter and Lucila Loera.
CAMP is a federally funded program that provides support for students from seasonal and migrant farmworker backgrounds. Students have experience working in a variety of different industries including agriculture, dairy, lumber, fisheries and the poultry business.
Estrada said it is important for advisory board members to have a good idea of what CAMP students and their families have experienced in their lives, which often includes back-breaking work and constant pressure to handle their product delicately to avoid bruises and other potential damage that can cut into profits.
“Contrary to the belief that agricultural workers are unskilled laborers, we quickly realized that apple picking requires a particular set of skills,” he said.
“It can be easy to become distant in the academy and lose close sight that the students we serve come from unique backgrounds and face large challenges,” said Loera. “The visit to the fields, gaining first-hand knowledge of how to pick apples and seeing how apples are processed was a good reminder of the sacrifice that students and their families make when they commit to come to college.”
Marc Robinson, director of WSU’s Cultural and Heritage Houses, grew up in Seattle and never came near an orchard until this opportunity arose.
“More than anything else, I came away from the trip with a deeper understanding of the hardships faced by farm workers and their families,” he said. “When I put on the bag and picked a sack full of apples, it got heavy real quick and there was no denying that picking fruit all day would be no easy task. The fact that these workers provide such an indispensable service and are paid so little is very troubling.”
Robinson said the trip confirmed for him the importance of the service WSU’s CAMP program provides in helping students graduate from college and giving them a chance to escape poverty.
“I certainly gained a stronger appreciation for the WSU CAMP staff and the work that they do,” said Texter. “They are an impressive, caring and committed team.”
Participants expressed deep gratitude to their hosts, Erik and Alejandra Gonzalez, owners of the Hacienda Gonzalez Apple Orchard. They kept the WSU group well fed and sent them home with plenty of apples to share with colleagues. One of the Gonzalez’ children, Mauricio, is a freshman at WSU.