farm workers

Many farm workers call blueberries their favorite crop to pick. It pays well and the work is comfortable. But there's a catch: It's a short season, and workers and their families have to keep moving.

March is a pivotal time in the world of strawberries. Production shifts westward, to California. In Florida, thousands of men and women who pick strawberries are moving on to other work.

The federal health law is putting farmers in a tough spot. Many contractors supplying workers have to offer health coverage. Insurance is costly, and contractors worry about immigration fallout.

Most workers who are picking oranges in Florida are temporary "guest" workers from Mexico. They have signed contracts to work only for growers who arranged their visas and provide their housing.

More than 21,000 are out of work this year from California's drought, a study says. The majority are farmworkers, and those lucky enough to have a job are often working longer hours for less money.

Thousands of seasonal workers come to California's Salinas Valley each year to pick crops, and many of them seem destined for a life in the fields. Now, a training program run by ALBA Organics is giving these workers the skills they need to be their own bosses.