In rural Maine, rise of the machines pushes out migrant pickers
In rural Maine, rise of the machines pushes out migrant pickers
By Dave Sherwood
DEBLOIS, Maine | Sat Aug 10, 2013 9:59am EDT
Aug 10 (Reuters) - From beneath the brim of a tattered straw cap, Oscar Argueta, a 35-year-old coffee farmer from the cloud forests of Intibucá, Honduras, grins as he tops off a plastic crate of wild Maine blueberries.
Argueta said he can make as much as $1,000 per week here, with free housing, subsidized food and even health care provided, a deal that has long enticed migrants to Maine's blueberry fields from as far away as Mexico, Honduras and Haiti.
The work is back-breaking, he said, but the atmosphere festive. Mariachi music booms from loudspeakers, a roving lunch truck hawks authentic Mexican fare and workers jibe one another in their native Spanish.
Despite the perks, this year's trip will be Argueta's last to the far northeast of the United States, nearly 4,000 miles (6,400 km) from the border with Mexico that is the focus of much of the nation's immigration debate.
More:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/10/usa-maine-migrants-idUSL1N0G80I820130810?rpc=401&feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews&rpc=401