02_2017H2AVisa_ManuelCruzSolis_0054 copy.jpg — "The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people."
– Cesar Chavez

the story

North Carolina is the largest user of the H2A Visa Program for migrant farmworkers. From recruitment in Mexico to placement on North Carolina farms, the process is highly regulated and is the lifeblood of an industry that contributes $84 billion to the state's economy. The journey is long, the work is thankless and H2A farmworkers are caught in the middle of a heated debate in America about jobs, immigration and security.

Abel and his wife in their home in the rural state of Nayarit, Mexico.

A tearful goodbye from Abel’s wife and son.

Abel tending to sweet potatoes on a farm in Stantonsburg, North Carolina.

There’s no escaping the North Carolina sun, but an early morning start helps.

Three generations — Jorge with his mother, his girlfriend and their two children.

A tender moment with his eldest son the day before Jorge leaves for North Carolina.

Once on the farm, workers are ferried between the dormitories and the fields on old school busses.

Workers will spend 12 hours a day hunched over crops. On this particular day, it’s strawberries.

the journey

Our story begins in rural Mexico where we follow two migrant farmworkers and their families as they prepare for another 9-month rotation on two different North Carolina farms. Through virtual reality (VR), video and portrait photography, our interviews with farmworkers, their families and farm owners highlight the rigors of the work, the complexity of the program and the direct impact on our country's food supply and economy.

In Monterrey, Mexico, the central collection point for the H2A workers is a plaza anchored by a statue of Atlas holding up the world.

After a full day of processing, H2A workers are assigned to their busses and head for the US/Mexico border.

Crossing the US/Mexico border in the middle of the night. After waiting three hours on the bus, the H2A workers were then directed off the bus and stood in line for another two hours for US Customs processing.

For the next 40+ hours, these H2A workers will make their way to North Carolina.

After a long journey, the North Carolina landscape is a stark contrast from the deserts of Mexico.

After 2 days on the road, six busloads of H2A workers arrived at the intake center in Vass, North Carolina. The H2A workers are processed and divided up by their placement farms and then load back onto the busses.

After an additional 2-3 hours on the road, the workers finally arrive at their placement farm and settle into their dorms. They will spend the next 6-9 months tending to any number of crops including strawberries, corn, peaches, sweet potatoes and many other fruits and vegetables. Agriculture contributes $84 billion to North Carolina’s economy.

the crew

MARC McANDREWS (Director) is an award-winning photographer whose work focuses on the fringes of American society. Past stories have included long stay motel owners, small town newscasters, "deathmatch" wrestlers and his critically acclaimed book, Nevada Rose, which captured the personalities and places of Nevada's legal brothels. www.marcmcandrews.com

PHILIP A. SANCHEZ (Producer) is a VR/360° video filmmaker and an enrolled tribal member of San Felipe Pueblo in New Mexico. With a deep background in philanthropy and community relations, Philip's work often explores the intersection of business and social change — topics that include refugees in American theater, sexual harassment in martial arts and the rich culture and traditions of Cuba. www.blurred-media.com

Together, Marc and Philip previously produced the award-winning multimedia project SACRED GROUND about the elders and younger generation of Lakota who would be left to deal with the consequences of the Dakota Access Pipeline.