Organic farmworker here. Sunscreen really is important. Bug spray too. Water most of all. And those red bandana handkerchief things? Great when dipped in ice water and put on your neck. Hats, very important. Did I mention I'm a city boy? Not exactly, not anymore.
It's great to look behind you and see how far down the row you're working you've gotten, then look ahead and see exactly how far to the end before you can break.
Some of the specialty crops we sell to expensive restaurants require lots of special handling, because they are our big cash crops for $20 a pound. Imagine how careful you have to be, in the sun, bending over. This may be unskilled labor, but It seems like the care involved makes it more than that.
I like the sense of progress and being satisfied at the end of the day with how much I accomplished, how many things I repaired, the new skills I learned, how much progress we've made laying in new crops or prepping new beds. Harvesting a crop is pretty great.
And yes, I really do like the money I earn. It makes a lot of things look different though: I keep thinking about how many hours I'd have to work for the money something costs. Interesting when you look at it that way.
