Culture
Wade said when they arrived at each of their H-2A employees' homes, they were greeted and welcomed with a family-style meal that was like a feast. “It was like we had a Tanksgiving dinner every single day,” he laughed. Some families would put on parties to welcome them. One even hired a mariachi band to play for them while they ate dinner with their family.
Tis past winter, Mike returned again to Mexico to visit their H-2A employees with an employee that helped as an interpreter and as a guide. Mike said his favorite part of the visits, aside from meeting everyone, was the fresh guacamole. “Both years, the mother or the matriarch of the family would pluck fresh onions, fresh avocados, and fresh cilantro and literally make it right there in front of us, fresh out of the ground and off of the tree.” He said that he also admires how everyone is so appreciative there giving hugs and kisses.
Opportunity
Wade Wilbur and Mike Howard agreed that a favorite part of visiting their employees and their families was being welcomed into their homes and having the opportunity to experience their culture and their food. Here a family member is making tortillas the traditional way, over the fire.
Wade’s favorite part of visiting their families is getting the opportunity to experience their culture and food inside their homes. He admired that every home they visited had a TV, but he never saw the TV get turned on the entire time they were there. “When the meal was over, we would sit around the table for sometimes two hours just having conversations with each other. I think about in the U.S. when we get together for Tanksgiving or whatever we eat the meal and then everyone plops in front of a TV to watch football. Tat wasn’t the case there. Everyone really enjoys each other’s company,” Wade reflected.
Wade noted that every employee there would tell him an opportunity to come work in the United States was like winning the lottery for them. After they would finish a meal, the families would tell him there was a group of people outside that wanted to speak to him. “I would go outside and 20 to 30 people from the community would be gathered and asking for an opportunity to come and work in the U.S. too. It’s interesting to hear that in this day and age in our country,” Wade said. “We’re having a hard time finding people who want to do manual labor here, but down there, people were lining up wanting us to take their names and begging for the opportunity to come.”
Wade said their trips have significantly strengthened their H-2A program, and their relationships with their employees, while it also allowed him to find more employees for the future. Sod Shop only has 12 H-2A spaces available, and Wade said he could have easily come home with several hundred people that were eager to work.
“Although I would preface, there are a lot of restrictions, guidelines, and other things we have to do such as provide housing, transportation, and meet a lot of government guidelines to be able to have this kind of workforce. But it also gives us a dedicated and committed workforce when they get here,” Wade said. “Tey are a workforce that comes up for nine months specifically focused on working and trying to get as much work done while here and work as many hours as they can.” He said, unlike their average worker, “Tese H-2A employees don’t seek days off; they come up and work as hard as they can and then they go home to enjoy their time with their families.”
Building a Better Life
Mike Howard, Sod Shop vice president of operations, (in cowboy hat) gathers with H-2A employee Erick and his extended family.
Wade explained when it comes to visiting their employees, it gave him insight into what their culture is like which then led them to respond differently to him as a business owner when they returned to Kansas. “Tere was a lot of pride. It’s pretty uncommon for an American business owner to travel down to meet their employees in their own country. So the people had a lot of pride in showing off their homes and a lot of them are constructing new homes with their earnings that they’re making here,” Wade said.
TPI Turf News July/August 2022 55
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