Idaho Immigrant Resource Alliance continues heat relief fund for its fourth summer

The Idaho Immigrant Resource Alliance is continuing its annual Heat and Smoke Relief Fund to help farmworkers deal with extreme weather conditions.

Founded in 2021, the fund helps agricultural workers in southern Idaho by giving them essential supplies and support during the summer. The alliance has raised around $35,000 over the years through donations and gathered hundreds of items for local farmworkers, according to a press release from the alliance.

This year, the nonprofit aims to raise $10,000 and collect essential items like water, coolers, sunscreen, hats, long sleeve shirts, electrolyte drinks and more to help farmworkers deal with extreme weather conditions, according to the release.

Samantha Guerrero, co-founder of the nonprofit, said protecting farmworkers is urgent.

“In the state of Idaho, we currently do not have any protections, and we really haven’t seen the initiative to do so,” Guerrero said. “Most farm groups are legally not given breaks or shade. With temperatures rising to 110 degrees, it makes it really dangerous for farmworkers to be working in those conditions.”

To address these challenges, the resource alliance has been collecting and distributing cooling bandanas, water and other essential items.

This year, the fund has been renamed in honor of community leader J.J. Saldaña, an Idaho Latino rights advocate who died in September.

“J.J. was an amazing leader and a big supporter of protecting farmworkers. Naming the fund after him is our way of honoring his legacy,” Guerrero said.

Who are Idaho farmworkers, and what do they face?

The demographics of Idaho’s farm workforce are diverse, comprising mostly Latinos and Hispanics, including many undocumented workers and those on H-2A visas, she said.

“We see a mix of ages and genders, but it’s predominantly a male-dominated field,” Guerrero said. “Many workers are also young students or come from families of farmworkers.”

Guerrero said asthma rates are high among farmworkers, and they are at higher risk of other illnesses because of their work.

“When workers aren’t getting the breaks that they need in order to consume enough water to stay hydrated in the fields they are also at a high risk for having kidney disease,” Guerrero said.

Guerrero said that this year’s fundraising strategy involves asking community leaders and setting up collection sites for donations.

“We’re halfway to our $10,000 goal and hope to reach it by the end of the month,” she said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, farmworkers were having a difficult time accessing supplies, by the time they were out of work stores were closed or supplies had run out, she said.

“The pandemic initially sparked a sense of urgency and community donations were high,” she said. “Although support has fluctuated, we continue to see community support, which is why we’ve kept this fundraiser going.”

Farmworker advocacy group partners with Boise State for research

The Idaho Immigrant Resource Alliance has partnered with Boise State University to understand the effects of heat stress and pesticides on farmworkers.

“We need to continue to have research to prove and show that policy is affecting those on the front lines and to show the impact of these conditions,” Guerrero said.

Researchers from Boise State University’s School of Public Service and Department of Sociology conducted a study during the pesticide spray season from April to July 2022. They found 10 pesticide biomarkers in over 80% of urine samples collected from 62 farmworkers comprised of 30 men and 32 women. Biomarkers are signals in the body like in blood and other fluids that show if someone has been exposed to pesticides.

The study found that men and women had similar levels of pesticide concentration, but women worked significantly fewer hours, wore similar or greater levels of personal protective equipment and were slightly more likely to report suffering from immediate pesticide poisoning.

The researchers also found that men had different views on risks, control and safety behaviors compared to women, who wear more protective gear.

“Farmworkers often wear many layers, including long sleeves, gloves, bandanas, hats and boots to protect themselves from sun exposure and pesticides,” Guerrero said “Imagine working in 110-degree heat with all these layers; it’s a lot of stress on the body.”