In Vermont, Se Habla Español: Using Occupational Spanish to Help Dairy Farmers Manage a Changing Workforce

Abstract

Hispanic workers are an important part of the agricultural labor force in the United States. In the past decade the geographical range of this largely Spanish-speaking workforce has expanded into areas, such as the state of Vermont, where few farmers speak Spanish. In order to safely and productively manage these new workers, methods to teach farmers how to communicate with this changing labor force are needed. This article reports on the use of an intensive occupational Spanish program designed to efficiently improve communication between Vermont dairy farmers and their Hispanic workers.