Saviroff (right) goes over tax deductions and payment procedures with milkers (from left) Victor Velázquez, Daniel Perez, and Carlos Lopez, all from Mexico.

Much language learning also happens informally at the workplace, during daily interactions between employer and employee. “It really takes practice and daily communication,” says Stup, “and some of the folks have gotten pretty proficient in the dairy setting. In reality, as the workers are learning English, managers are learning Spanish, so there’s this combination language that gets spoken on the farm.”

Other issues faced by farm managers include housing, transportation, and health care for Hispanic workers. In many cases the farm owner provides housing for Hispanic employees and arranges for periodic trips into town so that employees can buy food, particularly ingredients they need to prepare familiar dishes from home. Health issues can be problematic: People from rural Mexico, for example, haven’t had experience with the American health-care system. They may hesitate to seek out a doctor simply because they don’t know how to go about it. Saviroff
helps locate doctors who speak Spanish and works with employers on cultural issues that go along with health care. Many Hispanic employees feel that if they get hurt or sick they’re letting their boss down. Saviroff encourages employers to tell employees, “If you get sick or injured, let me know so I can help you get the care you need.”

Saviroff has seen the fruits of his labors in numerous farming operations. “I am very much rewarded by the impact of my activities,” he says. “When I see a farm that was suffering from labor instability succeed in stabilizing the labor force, it’s very satisfying.”

Stup has collaborated with colleagues at Cornell University who have been dealing with similar issues of overcoming language and cultural barriers in farm operations. As a result of that collaboration, in 2001, a conference entitled “Managing the Hispanic Workforce” was held at sites in Pennsylvania and New York, focusing on the dairy industry. Since then, two more conferences, co-sponsored by Penn State and Cornell, have expanded the focus to include other commodities. “No matter what kind of farming operation we’re dealing with, the issues are the same,” Stup says. “It’s about educating employers about cultural differences and best practices they can use to become better trainers and managers.”