Migrant, seasonal, and imported farm labor in Avon Park
While federal census tables document the aggregate agricultural workforce of Highlands County in the first half of the twentieth century, later federal reports, local mortuary records, and modern labor enforcement actions provide specific evidence of the individual migrant and seasonal workers who sustained Avon Park’s agricultural economy.
Individual migrant workers
Historically, individual names of migrant workers have been difficult to recover outside of manuscript census schedules. However, local mortuary records and obituaries document several individuals who lived in Avon Park and worked the groves and fields as their primary occupation, including:
- Rodriguez L. Latson (died 2020, age 51), resident of Avon Park.
- Carlene Cascoe (died 2023, age 81), member of the Faith Pentecostal Church in Avon Park, who worked as a migrant worker for many years.
- Willa Dean Pough (died 2020), who moved to the Alpines in Avon Park during the 1960s.
- Glennie Butler (died 2020, age 68). [obits-migrant-workers]
Migrant housing at Lacy Hill
The Florida Migrant Health Project’s fifth annual progress report for 1967–1968 identified that the Lacy Hill section of Avon Park was used to house agricultural workers. The report noted that a barracks-type building and another structure were in use for housing migrants during that season despite lacking official permits.[hew-migrant-health-1968]
Modern federal labor enforcement
The reliance on imported seasonal labor remains an active part of Avon Park’s agricultural economy into the twenty-first century, operating under the H-2A and similar nonimmigrant guest worker programs. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor concluded a significant enforcement action against Avon Park-based Marin J. Corp, owned by Jorge Marin-Gomez and Jorge Marin-Perez. The owners pleaded guilty to a pattern and practice of illegally hiring approximately 104 workers and relocating them to unauthorized farm locations. The Department assessed a $37,000 civil penalty and recovered nearly $10,000 in back wages related to visa fee reimbursements, followed by a broader settlement requiring the company to pay $165,805 in back wages to 85 workers and a $75,000 penalty for violations that included failing to provide meals and improperly charging workers for employment costs.[dol-marin-j-corp-2022]
The British West Indies Temporary Alien Labor Program
While thousands of foreign workers from the British West Indies (BWI) were employed in Florida (particularly in the Lake Okeechobee area for sugarcane), historical context accompanying the 1967–1968 Florida Migrant Health Project report indicates no specific evidence of a unique Highlands County or Avon Park labor program exclusively for BWI workers. Instead, the regional migrant labor systems integrated Avon Park with other agricultural hubs, and workers moved between these areas based on seasonal demands.[hew-migrant-health-1968]
References
- hew-migrant-health-1968 — US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Florida Migrant Health Project Fifth Annual Progress Report (1967-1968).
- dol-marin-j-corp-2022 — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. U.S. Department of Labor investigations and press releases regarding Marin J. Corp (2018-2022).
- obits-migrant-workers — Seana Banks Mortuary, Tribute Archive. Obituaries and public records (Rodriguez L. Latson, Carlene Cascoe, Willa Dean Pough, Glennie Butler).
Where this comes from
- Evidence
- corroborated — More than one independent source agrees.
- Review
- unverified — Drafted from sources but not yet checked by a volunteer.
- Rights
- society
Sources
- US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Florida Migrant Health Project Fifth Annual Progress Report (1967-1968)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor investigations and press releases regarding Marin J. Corp (2018-2022)
- Seana Banks Mortuary, Tribute Archive, Obituaries and public records (Rodriguez L. Latson, Carlene Cascoe, Willa Dean Pough, Glennie Butler)
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