A Day in Watsonville: Reflections from my field trip By Deepesh Das Shrestha, MIMS Cohort 9
On Friday, March 14, 2025, the rain was playing cat and mouse on our way to Watsonville’s Centre for Farm Workers. We, a team of students from MIMS Cohorts 8 and 9, had assembled at the USF early in the morning. The cloudy sky and dreary weather did not dampen our spirits as we were all excited about the trip. A rainbow appeared as we drove along the scenic highway, giving our trip a sense of purpose.
The centre itself was modest but welcoming. When we reached the site, local community volunteers were already busy setting up food, clothes, sanitation, and hygiene supplies for the day. Soon after, we joined forces with the local community members to assist them in planning and distributing essential supplies to the visiting farm workers. Rows of folding tables lined the lot, each covered with a bag of food items consisting of rice, beans, cooking oil, and sanitary and hygiene supplies. In one area, bags of clothes were neatly stored, while in another section, children's books and blankets were spread out. Everyone involved was moving quickly but with intention. Outside the center, a separate group of volunteers were busy covering the boxes overflowing with fresh produce - tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, leafy vegetables, and crates of apples, oranges, and bananas.
The mood was peaceful but carried a quiet weight. Families started arriving in small groups as some children clung to their parents’ legs or played quietly on the street corners. There weren’t many words spoken as they waited in line, but the eyes said enough—grateful, tired, and cautious. A simple nod or smile was exchanged instead of conversation.
It was humbling to see so many faces of the people whose labor fills our grocery store shelves, waiting patiently for their turn to receive the bare necessities. There was dignity in the way they carried their supplies back to their cars, heads held high, despite the circumstances.
We worked swiftly, hands moving like clockwork with the flow of the line, as we helped distribute the needs of the families. Around 200 families were supported on this day. There was a silent respect among everyone, a shared understanding of the struggles that rarely make the headlines. A few farmworker families also received free immigration consultations at the site in coordination with Prof. Bill Hing from the USF School of Law - a much-needed support to those seeking legal help, given the fearful situation after anti-immigrant policies were introduced by the current Trump administration.
The event wrapped up quietly, no fanfare, no applause—just families heading home with their food and another day survived. I stood there for a moment, reflecting on the beauty and the heaviness of it all.
In Watsonville, the Centre for Farmworker Families has been organizing monthly distributions of food, household items, clothing, and other essential products and services to address the immediate needs of farmworker families facing food insecurity, clothing shortages, and other critical support requirements. Since its establishment in 2008, the organization has been implementing many other projects, including immersive tours, community shed, housing assistance program, computer literacy programs, Campaign for Organic & Regenerative Agriculture (CORA), all dedicated to improving lives of farmworker families.
Hosting a Mexican dinner, Dr. Ann Lopez, Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Farmworker Families, during our interaction, told us she started the non-profit for farm workers because she was inspired to do something for them after listening to heartbreaking family stories and family separation.
Dr. Lopez praised the local community for their unflinching support, adding that she now focuses on advocating for policies supporting farm workers and exposing their harsh living and working conditions. She further stressed valuing farm workers, who feed us despite facing insurmountable hardships, and treating them fairly.
“They (Farm workers) are treated like they don’t matter. They are treated like second-class castes, and this needs to be reformed,” she said.
I left Watsonville with a full heart and a lingering thought: how often we forget the human hands behind our meals. Today, I saw some of those hands—and they were weathered, strong, and deeply deserving of more than a box of essential supplies. They deserve recognition, respect, and dignity every single day.
Center for farmworker families, Watsonville
