Daniel Baker

Health Status and Needs of Latino Dairy Farmworkers in Vermont

ABSTRACT Vermont is a new Latino destination where many Spanish-speaking migrants have found work on dairy farms. One hundred twenty Latino workers were surveyed on 59 Vermont dairy farms to develop a demographic profile and evaluate their self-assessed health status and barriers to care. The study found, similar to other studies, the majority of workers were young, male Mexicans. However, the workers in this study, as compared to others, originated farther south in Mexico and there were significant regional differences in educational attainment. Workers defined health in terms of their ability to work and the majority believed themselves to be in good health. The majority felt that moving to the United States has not changed their health status. The most common health issue reported was back/neck pain, followed by dental and mental health issues. Workers are both physically and linguistically isolated and reported isolation as the most challenging aspect of dairy farm work. Fear of immigration law enforcement was the primary barrier to care. Community-based initiatives, including partnerships with colleges and universities, outreach to farm employers and the adoption of “bias-free policing” are strategies that can increase access to health care for Latino dairy farmworkers in the United States.

Rapid Flood Exposure Assessment of Vermont Mobile Home Parks Following Tropical Storm Irene

AbstractTropical Storm Irene and spring flooding in 2011 exposed the vulnerabilities of mobile home parks in Vermont when 154 mobile homes in parks were destroyed. The question of mobile home parks’ relationship to floodplains was a pressing concern to state officials as displaced households sought to resettle. Little analysis had been done about the extent to which Vermont’s mobile home parks were exposed to flooding and the data to do this analysis had not been assessed or assembled. A spatial overlay analysis largely using multiple sources of existing data revealed that nearly 32% of all mobile home parks in the state have some of their land in floodplains, and more than 20% of all mobile home parks have at least one house in the floodplain. Statewide, nearly 12% of mobile homes in parks are in floodplains. A key element in this assessment was an existing geographic information system (GIS) data set showing the location and E911 addresses of residences, an outcome of Vermont’s decision to geolocate all...

Use and perceptions of alternative economic activities among smallholder coffee farmers in Huehuetenango and El Quiché departments in Guatemala

ABSTRACT In the past two decades, Mesoamerican smallholder coffee farmers have had to confront several stressors and shocks, such as price crises and natural disasters, with debilitating impacts on the viability of their livelihoods. More recently, many farmers have suffered crop losses in the wake of the spread of coffee leaf rust disease, and researchers are predicting that some areas will become less suitable for coffee growing in the near future as a result of climate change. For these reasons, many have called for the promotion of livelihood diversification as an additional component of rural development programs. This study uses thematic analysis of transcripts from 15 interviews with members of a regional Guatemalan coffee cooperative, Asociación Barillense de Agricultores, based on four different interview guides. Coffee remains the primary livelihood strategy of the respondents, whereas most other activities appear to offer relatively small contributions to incomes, with the exception of honey and a small sewing shop. Some of the farmer responses reflect coping mechanisms rather than risk management. The study also identified other themes mediating diversification, including income-smoothing, optimization, familiarity, social networks, and influences from external actors.

Ecological panela production in Honduras: A lighter footprint for non-centrifugal sugar

Abstract Panela is a block sugar produced by small low-income farmers around the world. Evaporators used in the process are often inefficient and depend on firewood for fuel, which is costly and contributes to deforestation, This paper reports on the development of an evaporator in Honduras using a flue pan and improved oven that small-scale producers found lowered their fuelwood demand by 82% while reducing production time by 27% per day and 47% per unit of production. The evaporator can be built and maintained locally. Over 174 evaporators have been installed in Honduras since 2003, currently used by more than 2,000 small-scale producers. This study discusses the impact of the new evaporator based on a survey of 64 producers who have used the evaporator. The study found that fuel savings are sufficient to repay the cost of the evaporator, including interest, in 3 months of use. Panela projects using efficient evaporators can lower the environmental impact of small-scale sugarcane processing and increase rural incomes in many countries facing these challenges. Recommendations on how to structure and expand similar block sugar projects to increase sustainability close the paper.