Thanks to Our Loyal Workers

A man from a cooler part of the country had just returned home from a July vacation in Borrego Springs.

“How did you find the hot desert weather?” a friend asked the tourist.

“It was easy,” the tourist replied. “I just went outside, and there it was.”

Well, when the mercury goes up in Borrego, we have to keep laughing somehow… The extreme heat of a Borrego summer is part of our valley’s signature identity, a source of good stories, even a matter of stoic, or perhaps ironic, pride for local people who weather the May-October dog days.

Of course, air conditioning and swamp coolers have made Borrego a much more habitable place during the summers, but I often imagine what it must have been like during indigenous times and later during the early ranching and farming days when very little came between people and the heat.

On Borrego’s farms, of course, not everything has changed. Farming, like all outdoor work, is still a challenging undertaking during the summer. We start the day early to avoid the heat as long as possible, and as the heat index goes through the roof, we look out for each other, limiting exposure to the sun, making sure everyone stays hydrated, and watching for any early signs of heat illness.

American farm workers have to adapt to some pretty harsh conditions in order to provide us with food and maintain the health of our nation’s agricultural economy. This is a good time of year to remember these folks with appreciation.

Ellis Farms says thanks to our employees and all farm workers for the great work they do, especially during the long hot summer months.