Advocates tell Rep. Raul Ruiz how they hope Congress can help Coachella Valley farmworkers

Advocates for eastern Coachella Valley farmworkers told U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz this week they want him to push Congress to fund upgrades to water and electricity systems in the area. They also urged Ruiz to support making housing and food more affordable for people who move here to work in agricultural jobs.

As Congress prepares to develop the 2023 farm bill, a law that governs various national agriculture and nutrition programs, many legislators are in their districts, gathering ideas from interested parties to incorporate within the bill. The farm bill is updated every five years and Congress plans for reauthorization this year by Sept. 30.

On Tuesday, Ruiz and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's rural development director for California, Maria Gallegos-Herrera, held a "listening session" in Thermal, in which they heard several farmworker advocacy groups and local growers speak about their top priorities and concerns for the farm bill.

USDA works with Congress to implement the farm bill once it's passed.

"What programs do I need to fight for? What programs need to be expanded? Are there new programs that need to be introduced? Is there something I should fight to get rid of in this farm bill, or amend?" Ruiz asked, and local nonprofit representatives did not hesitate to provide some answers.

Housing was naturally top of mind for Melisa Dolores, a planning coordinator with Lift to Rise, which focuses on affordable housing. She told Ruiz that investment in rural development was needed to allow the organization to do more for farmworkers: "If we had the infrastructure, like water (and) electricity connection, it could unlock more opportunities in housing, and obviously grocery stores and health clinics in our community."

Meanwhile, Luz Gallegos, the executive director for the legal advocacy group TODEC, explained that she hoped to see the farm bill amended to allow undocumented farmworkers access to several of the programs funded under the bill.

She supported more funding for another local organization, Find Food Bank, to help combat food insecurity among the farmworker community, telling Ruiz, "Like you say, we are in an impoverished region, where we continue hearing from our farmworkers that (they) harvest food for all, but at times, (they) can't even afford food for themselves."

Pedro S.G. Rodriguez, executive director at Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, also spoke about amending the farm bill, saying that under current policy, undocumented farmworkers don't qualify for the housing CVHC offers specifically for those who work in fields.

"In some families, (the parents) are undocumented, but the kids were born here. If there was a way that they could become eligible for the farmworker housing, we could provide (it)," Rodriguez said.

"It's a great idea," Ruiz responded.

Other issues mentioned by advocacy groups revolved around occupational hazard protections, healthcare benefits and access to education programs for farmworkers and their families — things Gallegos-Herrera said were part of the 2018 farm bill and she would help push for in 2023.

Growers also spoke up about their concerns, which included applying a USDA protection to "specialty crops" that prevents growers from losing money if their crops fall below a reference price established by the USDA in a given year.

Should their crops fall below the reference price, growers can petition to have USDA make up the difference, but the protection doesn't currently apply to a lot of what grows in the Coachella Valley — dates, lemons, grapes — said one grower, who didn't state his name during the meeting.

"There's nothing in the farm bill that applies to the specialty crops we grow here," he explained.

Ruiz recognized the importance of agriculture in the area, noting it's among the top three industries in Coachella Valley and number one "by far" in the Imperial Valley, both part of the 25th District he represents.

"There's a lot of national organizations that have a national perspective on these issues. For me, first and foremost is my district and my state, so I want to make sure I'm carrying the voice of representative here when we talk about these national issues," Ruiz said.

Eliana Perez covers the eastern Coachella Valley. Reach her at eliana.perez@thedesertsun.com or on Twitter @ElianaPress.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: How advocates say Congress can help Coachella Valley farmworkers