PEABODY — Local produce lovers may not be aware, but Brooksby Farm, located at 54 Felton St., has a program offering standing, seasonal employment to individuals from other countries.
During the busy season, typically April to December, Brooksby’s crops need the oversight of additional workers.
The farm contracts out with the federal work program H-2A, also known as the Temporary Agricultural Employment of Foreign Workers program.
Through this program, seven to eight employees from overseas, typically Jamaica in Brooksby’s case, are brought in to assist at the farm.
Under H-2A, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can approve an employer’s petition for these workers and the workers will become city employees with access to insurance and other benefits.
Brooksby filed an application with the Department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) stating that there are not sufficient workers who are “able, willing, qualified and available”, and that the employment of individuals from another country will not affect the wages and working conditions of workers similarly employed in the U.S.
Brooksby has to get certified to employ the workers and must follow the federal guidelines associated with H-2A, including initially attempting to find U.S. workers to fill these jobs before offering them to individuals from abroad.
This program requires Brooksby to pay special rates and provide housing and transportation to the job site; additionally, it must guarantee an offer of employment for a total number of hours equal to at least 75 percent of the work period specified in the contract.
The city’s Recreation, Parks and Forestry Director, Jennifer Davis, said Brooksby has three generations of workers who have been coming back to Brooksby year after year. She said one of these individuals became a full-time employee a few years ago and asserted that everyone who participates in this program works very hard.
These workers assist with jobs on the farm including harvesting and maintaining the fruits and vegetables, working in the store, assisting with the care of the animals and other duties related to the operations and maintenance of the farm.
“It’s a great program and it’s so cool to see people coming back each year,” Davis said. “They work really hard and it’s a great opportunity.”
Brooksby Farm is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
