The SPOHP Podcast

Yesica Ramirez and her family moved to the United States in 2000 with the hopes of earning enough money to build a house to return to in their home town of Michoacán, Mexico. Yesica has been in the states ever since, isolated by language barrier to her job, family, and church. In this podcast, with the help of an interpreter, she describes her life in the United States, including this isolation, which extends even to her own children, as they know English, go to school, and bring back homework with

Earma Peterson was born in Crescent City, Florida in 1930 and had 14 children and over 100 grandchildren. In this podcast, she describes her life working on the farms of Apopka, Florida in order to support her family and tells a little of the history of her grandfather, who was killed for building a school and a church for slaves. Farmworker Association of Florida, a SPOHP Podcast Series If you would like learn more on these issues read Fed Up: The High Costs of Cheap Food by Dale Finley

Geraldean Matthew worked as a migrant farmworker throughout the United States before settling in Florida and landing a job as an advocate for farmworkers’ rights. In this podcast, she discusses advocating for better housing, better wages, and healthcare for farmworkers as well as a few of the troubles she has experience in trying to turn legislators’ attentions to farmworkers’ issues. Farmworker Association of Florida, a SPOHP Podcast Series Interview conducted and podcasted by Michael Ruckstuhl

Carol Johnson grew up in Apopka, Florida and worked in the orange groves and packinghouses from fifth grade through her college graduation. In this podcast, she discusses migrant farm work, the health issues her mother and other farmworkers suffered from prolonged exposure to pesticides, dealing with segregation, and the important role education plays in transcending social and economic status. Farmworker Association of Florida, a SPOHP Podcast Series If you would like learn more on these issues

Because she and other African American children were bussed out of town for high school, Rossie Thomas’s school days ran from “‘dark-thirty’ to ‘dark-thirty’” leaving her to read tattered, hand-me-down textbooks and complete assignments by lamplight at night. In this podcast, Thomas discusses this period in her life as well as other experiences in education in the segregated South. Farmworker Association of Florida, a SPOHP Podcast Series If you would like learn more on these issues read Fed Up: The

Johnnie Mae Byers, born and raised in Apopka, Florida, was pulled out of school after the second grade to help support her family by working the muck farms and orange groves of the area. In this podcast, she discusses the harsh conditions of such work, including the physical strains of climbing, picking and carrying heavy loads, and exposure to both heat and pesticides. Farmworker Association of Florida, a SPOHP Podcast Series If you would like learn more on these issues read Fed Up: The High Costs

Welcome to Farmworker Association of Florida, a SPOHP Podcast Series. SPOHP is the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida. Check out the SPOHP Podcast Intro episode for background info on SPOHP if you are new. As part of the 2013 summer internship course, students conducted interviews with the Farmworker Association of Florida or FWAF for short. The FWAF is a statewide, grassroots, community-based, non-profit, farmworker membership organization with over 10,000 members

Welcome to the SPOHP Podcast presented by the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida. This episode was made to give a little background info on what you can look forward to from this podcast. Thank you for listening! SPOHP, one community, many voices. This episode was produced by Grace Chun. In collaboration with the Farmworkers Association of Florida If you would like learn more on these issues read Fed Up: The High Costs of Cheap Food by Dale Finley Slongwhite. Music: The