Reviews

Tom Rivers ushers a group of cows to the milking parlor, 5/08

“In my travels around the state, the one consistent message I hear from farmers across all commodities is the need for well-qualified and hard-working employees. Tom Rivers has immersed himself in the subject (and all the soil, leaves, fruit, vegetables and sore muscles that go with it) to explain not only the very difficult nature of the work, but the fantastic people who make up our agricultural industry.

“I know farmers whose lives have been saved by their workers, who have vacationed in their homeland and who have provided these valuable people a start on the American dream. It is a complex story that needed someone to tell it.  That someone is Tom Rivers and he has done a great job.”

—Patrick Hooker, Commissioner, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets

“This unusually thought-provoking book, Farm Hands, takes the reader right into the heart of New York’s farm country, from the perspective of the farmers and farm workers responsible for producing the food that lands on our nation’s tables.  The insights gained should make us all thankful for the hard work, dedication and passion of those involved in providing our food supply.”

—Dean Norton, President of New York Farm Bureau

“A lot of people claim that we depend on immigrants to do jobs that Americans won't; author Tom Rivers takes the rare step of actually showing us why. An enjoyable, nonpartisan, and informative account, Farm Hands should be read by policymakers and anyone else interested in understanding the complexities of the immigration issue.”

—Roy Germano, Ph.D., Director, The Other Side of Immigration

“Tom Rivers has set the standard for agricultural reporting here in Western New York. This book is a showcase to his talents, and his passion for our industry, based on realism, facts and experience, not the same old rhetoric or sensational reporting that so many so called journalists practice. Dirty hands and accurate reporting, at its best!”

—Jim Allen, President, New York Apple Association

“There are many facets to the issue of immigration in America today, and one of the least recognized has to do with farm work. In Farm Hands, Tom Rivers gives us the story of how he tried his hand at the work of planting, tending, and harvesting America’s food—work that we all need done, but that we do not want to do, and that most of us know little about. We are introduced to the farmers who struggle to find a stable work force, the often back-breaking work, and the people who come here to do it, many of whom are undocumented workers seeking a better life. It is a compelling story that shows us the human face—indeed, the human body—of immigration.”

—Rev. Peggy Meeker, Brockport Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

“This book is well-written, fun, an easy read with many photos, and a great tool to show non-farmers the need for reliable skilled farm workers, their importance to American farmers and American well-being, and the respect agricultural employers have for them.”

—National Council of Agricultural Employers

“Maestro, Stretch, King Kong, Ferdinand, Sherlock—these are the names of some of the farm workers Tom Rivers introduces us to in his eye-opening book Farm Hands: Hard Work and Hard Lessons from Western New York Fields. Part social experiment, part investigative journalism, Rivers provides us a first-hand look at the rigors of farm labor as he himself worked with crews in the fields on numerous farms throughout Orleans and Genesee counties. Many, if not all, of the crews were made up of migrant workers from Mexico, Jamaica, and Haiti. What Rivers shows us is that farm labor is dignified hard work that requires will power, humility, skill, and strength.” 

—Edible Buffalo Magazine, Summer 2010 issue

“I just finished Tom Rivers' book Farm Hands and am astounded at the real-life feel this book gives to the world of agriculture. Tom has not only been a friend to agriculture by reporting on local events within our community, but by taking a leap out of his comfort zone working as a farm hand, dairy laborer, onion planter, apple picker and cabbage harvester. I have encouraged my colleagues in both the Assembly and Senate to read this book so they understand the real issues farm laborers and farmers face together.”

—Steve Hawley, NYS Assemblyman