The flags of seven countries represented at the Farms of Norfolk Football Association tournament fluttered in the breeze at Simcoe’s West Street soccer fields on Sunday.
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Almost 200 migrant workers from Jamaica, Guatemala, St. Lucia, Barbados, Trinidad, Mexico and Bahamas, who spend much of their time working at Norfolk and area farms, proudly flew their colours and played some serious ball.
“They’ve been outside every night practising,” said Mike Berkel, who owns Proplant Propagation Services in Jarvis and employs about 100 migrant workers. “They lined up production so they could have the day off to play.”
Migrant workers from farms in Norfolk and area enjoyed some soccer on Sunday at the 5th Farms of Norfolk Football Association Tournament played on the West Street soccer fields in Simcoe. Photo by MICHELLE RUBY /Brantford Expositor
It was the second tournament for Ricardo Whitter of Jamaica who plays either forward or mid-field. Early Sunday morning, his Proplant team was in a do-or-die situation ahead of their third game of the day.
“We’ve got to win,” said Whitter. “The tournament is very nice. It’s peaceful. It brings everyone together to have a bit of fun.”
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That’s important, said Carrie Sinkowski, community developer at the non-profit Community Legal Clinic – Brant Haldimand Norfolk, which offers various outreach programs to migrant workers.
“When we asked them, they said they were interested in more recreational activities during the growing season,” said Sinkowski. “A soccer tournament kept coming up.”
The original FNFA tournament in 2018 was inspired by the FIFA Men’s World Cup. There were 12 teams playing on Sunday.
Each competing farm sponsors its own team, which covers the cost of jerseys and offsets the cost of referees and insurance and is responsible for making up its roster. One team consisted of year-round residents and individual international workers from farms that didn’t have enough players to form a team.
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Inventive musicians use empty beer bottles, plastic drums and other objects to make some music Sunday at the Farms of Norfolk Football Association tournament in Simcoe. Photo by MICHELLE RUBY /Brantford Expositor
“The outcomes of today ripple out to other aspects of workers’ lives,” said Sinkowski. “After the first year, most farms got soccer nets and set up fields. It’s no longer just about a single tournament.”
About 5,000 seasonal agricultural workers from Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America spend up to eight months of the year in Norfolk County, whose farms lead the country in the production of many fruit and vegetable crops.
“That’s a long time to be away from their family, friends and community,” said Sinkowski.
Berkel said the workers who travel from afar to work on his farm are “hugely essential” and he tries to create an environment so “they want to be here.”
Luis Mendez has been coming to Canada from Guatemala for farm work for the past few years. But it was soccer that was on his mind Sunday.
“We enjoy relaxing and not thinking about work,” he said.
Almost 200 players on 16 teams, most of them migrant workers on Norfolk and area farms, played in Sunday’s Norfolk Football Association tournament in Simcoe. Photo by MICHELLE RUBY /Brantford Expositor
Sinkowski said all Norfolk County residents are invited to come out and watch the games, have some fun, and learn a little about the importance of migrant workers to the local economy.
“There are people who have moved here from the GTA who know nothing about this part of Norfolk. We wouldn’t be able to eat if (migrant workers) weren’t working hard on our farms. We don’t want people to overlook this aspect of our economy and culture.”
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Publish date : 2024-08-12 02:20:00
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