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The Packer IMMOKALEE, Fla. — Dick Nogaj has a vision, and if it turns out to be as clear as he envisions it farm workers could be living a much better life. Nogaj, 63, former owner of an engineering firm in Illinois who now grows 36 acres of blueberries at Harvest Farms, is pursuing a federal tax credit for growers who increase workers’ pay to a living wage, or enough to support families without dependence on public assistance. Nogaj said that figure would be a minimum of $8.50 per hour, which is about $1 an hour more than the average wage in Florida for farm workers. Like more expensive organic products, the price of living wage produce labels would be as much as 5% higher at the retail level, which Nogaj said consumers would be willing to pay if they knew they were helping the plight of farmworkers. Nogaj’s Harvest For Humanity nonprofit corporation conducted a two-year survey of consumers in southwest Florida and discovered 82% would pay 5% more at the checkout counter for produce grown in the U.S. on living wage farms. Under Nogaj’s proposal, growers that pay the higher wage would be eligible for federal tax credits of up to $4,800 per year for three years or whenever price increases trickle back to the grower. The program would start in Immokalee and expand from there. Nogaj said he has pitched the concept to U.S. Sens. Tom Daschle, D-S.D.; Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Tom Harkin, D-Iowa; and Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., who have shown interest in the proposal. “A penny a pound (on blueberry harvests) could be translated into $3 per hour for workers and $100 million per year for the Immokalee economy,” Nogaj said. “The problem is growers have to be compensated for the increase in pay. It’s a difficult process because it does represent change.” Nogaj said he pays his farmworkers $1 per pound to harvest blueberries, which he said equates to about $14 per hour. Ultimately, Nogaj wants to sell his farm back to his workers through an employee stock purchase plan. He already has built affordable housing in Immokalee for farm workers and other residents. His charitable acts are nothing new. Nogaj sold his engineering firm, RJN Group Inc., Wheaton, Ill., back to his staff through an employee stock purchase plan in 1995 and formed the RJN Foundation Inc., through Habitat For Humanity, and built 25 homes for needy families in Illinois. When he and his wife, Florence, read about a recent farm workers strike in Immokalee, they made a commitment to southwest Florida. “When we saw the third-world conditions in Immokalee, we decided to build a farm that the employees can eventually own,” Nogaj said. He purchased an 84-acre citrus grove northwest of Immokalee three years ago and slowly converted it into blueberry production. There also is a half acre of blueberries at his Jubilation housing development that is open to the public each year on a customerpick basis. “Our goal is to get rid of poverty,” Nogaj said, “We need congressional reps that have a passion for this. It’s time we stop this harvest of shame.” Dick Nogaj (left), president of Harvest For Humanity Inc., Immokalee, Fla., and Rene Hernandez, farm manager of Harvest Farms, Immokalee, show off one of 600 blueberry plants on a customerpick operation at Nogaj’s Jubilation housing development in Immokalee. Reprinted by permission from The Packer. The Packer does not review or endorse products, services or opinions. |
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