It has been well-recognized that farm workers are at very high risk for occupationalinjuries. Due to the unique composition of the California agricultural industry andworkforce, especially the migrant farm worker population, a survey of farms in twoagricultural counties was conducted. The primary goal of the survey is to evaluatecommodity-specific farm injuries and hazards in two highly agricultural regions inCalifornia with a high proportion of migrant farm labor, Fresno and MontereyCounties. The specific aim was to evaluate a total of 350 farms randomly selected afterstratification for commodity and farm size. Each farm evaluation consisted of a farmowner/operator interview, seven randomly selected worker interviews, and astandardized health and safety walk-though survey. From 1992 through 1996, fieldvisits and data collection have been completed for 357 farms (representing over2000 worker interviews and 157 walk-through evaluations). Preliminary results indicatea work force of mostly Hispanic men (approximately 89%) with a mean age of 38.There were high prevalences of musculoskeletal problems in the lower back (24%),upper back (19%) and wrist (18%) regions of the body. During the past year, 29% of theworkers reported occupational injuries associated with farm work, farm equipment ortransportation. Among the injured workers, 20% reported multiple incidents, 27%missed at least one day of work, 46% saw a licensed medical care provider, and 22%knew of a workers compensation report being filed. Only 70% of the injured workersreported received training on the work task that was associated with their injury. Thefinal California Farm Survey will allow a unique view of the farming industry in theState from the concurrent perspective of the owner/operator, the farm worker and thestudy walk-through evaluator.