Michigan State University’s “La Cosecha” Program Supports Latino/a Farm Families
In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
Small family farms are an asset to the community. They boost the local economy, ensure locally grown food is available and build community pride. With the number of people becoming farmers dwindling, encouraging the establishment and success of new ones is in every Michigan community’s best interest.
La Cosecha, a program developed by Michigan State University to support Latino/a farm owners in the state, does just that. With more than 200 Latino/a farmers in southwest Michigan alone, La Cosecha, which means harvest in Spanish, makes a difference for the farmers, their families and their communities.
“Latino/a farmers have been underserved,” says Luis Alonzo Garcia, co-director of La Cosecha. “Our program links them to critical resources that provide training in methods and management that support and enhance their efforts to build a successful operation.”
Garcia explains that many Latino/a farmers and farm laborers come to Michigan after working nonagricultural jobs in big cities like Chicago. They have experience working in agriculture in Mexico and are anxious to return to working the land and the satisfaction it brings.
“They know that Michigan has a strong agriculture focus, and their families like it here,” Garcia says. “La Cosecha provides the practical information to improve their farming practices and enhance their profitability.”
See more: Latino Farmers Overcome Challenges to Find Success in Agriculture
Tools for Success
MSU has provided educational programs, resources and opportunities for migrant farmworkers for more than 20 years. La Cosecha, which launched in 2020, continues that tradition.
The project’s founder, David Mota-Sanchez, an assistant professor of entomology at MSU, saw a need to develop a systematic way for Latino/a farmers to receive training that would take into account language and cultural differences.
“Agriculture is very complex,” Mota-Sanchez says. “It requires the farmer to have knowledge about agronomy, plant protection, soils, chemicals, pollinators and crop varieties. They also need to know how to manage their business.
La Cosecha has a team of experts and scientists who work with these resilient and hard-working farmers and their families to deliver the information in their language and with their experience in mind.”
Including the family is a critical program component.
“Farming is often a multigeneration endeavor for families,” Mota-Sanchez says. “If we can increase the knowledge and skill sets early, it bodes well for the future of the business.”
It bodes well for Michigan, too.
“Supporting Latino/a farmers in Michigan keeps our money in our state, ensures more locally grown food for our consumers, and helps keep our rural communities thriving and vibrant,” Garcia says. “We’re proud that La Cosecha provides that important support.”
To learn more about the MSU La Cosecha program, visit mss.msu.edu/la-cosecha/index.html.