America’s largest union of farmworkers has spent the days leading up to Thanksgiving showing just how much effort goes into food production before millions of families prepare to tuck into green bean casseroles, sweet potato pies and mountains of cranberry sauce.
“Tell us your favorite Thanksgiving dish, and we’ll share some of what we know about the work behind the ingredients,” the union, United Farm Workers, posted on Twitter this Sunday.
The requests rolled in, and United Farm Workers responded with videos of farm laborers weathering harsh climates and flooded bogs showed the intense skill behind the produce on American tables: Footage of farmworkers snipping hundreds of turnips an hour at breakneck pace (earning $1.50 every two buckets), hacking Brussels sprout stems with machetes and plucking bunches of radishes out of the ground by the handful (earning $1.86 a crate).
“Over the past few months, many farm workers have also suffered through record-setting heat waves – along with historic wildfires and the resulting smoky, ash-filled air. And now, as winter approaches, they’ll keep working amid the rain, mud, and cold,” the group wrote. “At the same time, we’re stepping up our fight for social justice to achieve respectful workplaces … fair wages … affordable health care … and life-changing union contracts.”
Take a look at more clips below.