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Chappelle, David B.

Community Development and Applied Economics

2009

MS

The Vermont dairy industry has been challenged in recent years by shortages of local farm laborers. As a result, more producers have turned to migrant Hispanic labor as an alternative to the domestic labor supply. This solves the immediate labor crisis while simultaneously creating a language barrier on the farm between owners or managers and their workers. In response to a felt need from the VT dairy community, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets collaborated with the University of Vermont's Community Development and Applied Economics Department to create a pilot occupational Spanish course for farmers. In the winter of 2007, the pilot course was launched in two counties where the highest concentrations of Hispanic labor are employed.
The first of the articles that follow provides analysis on the implementation of the pilot course, evaluating its relative successes and failures. It focuses on the research and teaching methodologies used in the pilot as well as the specific outcomes and findings. The second article considers the issues, challenges, and lessons learned in the implementation of the pilot. It uses the pilot as a context in which to discuss the potential to expand the project from a pilot to a large scale. Evaluation of the occupation Spanish course proved it to be successful on many levels. The relative successes and conclusions from the initial pilot were then developed into a set of guidelines to influence implementation of future projects of a similar nature. The U.S. Extension Service was identified as an apt organization for the development of a regional occupational language program for agricultural producers who employ Hispanic labor.