The VT Migrant Farmworker Solidarity Project seeks to hire a Coordinator to build our capacity to collaborate with migrant farmworkers, farmers, and allies to build more socially and economically just, welcoming and responsive Vermont communities and food systems. The VTMFSP emerged in response to critical issues affecting migrant dairy farm workers. There are approximately 1500 Mexican farm workers on Vermont’s dairy farms. Because there is no work permit process for dairy work, the majority of migrant workers do not have legal status. Without documents these workers are subjected to aggressive racial profiling practices that convert them into virtual prisoners on the farm. Moreover, the general public is subjected to a campaign that paints undocumented immigrants as dangerous criminals that steal jobs and deplete resources. As a result, workers are subjected to highly restrictive living and work environments and are overly dependent on their employers to meet their basic needs. With an estimated 200 dairy farms expected to fold this year both farmers and farm workers are over worked, underpaid, and extremely stressed. Together this creates an environment in which farm workers lack basic freedoms like the ability to gather as a community; go to the hospital; or go to the market. Due to this isolation and marginalization some migrant farm workers struggle to meet their most basic needs while others experience human and workers’ rights abuses. Surrounding communities often lack awareness of the difficult environments that farm workers are subjected to. In addition, there is very little understanding of who they are, where they come from and why they come. This lack of information and awareness severely limits communities’ opportunity to engage with farmers and farm workers to explore strategies that improve their quality of life. Furthermore, existing initiatives have not sufficiently emphasized the development of farm worker leadership or participation in broader social change efforts. The catalyst for launching VTMFSP came with the tragic death of a young dairy worker, José Obeth Santiz Cruz, on December 22, 2009. The VTMFSP organized the return of his body to his village in Chiapas, Mexico and documented the complex interdependencies between Vermont agriculture and this largely invisible community. This project ended with the production of the documentary film Silenced Voices. Following the film production process the core members of VTMFSP held a retreat to determine organizational goals. The following goals came out of this retreat: 1. Build, develop and train a farm worker advisory board to inform our work while developing leadership, infrastructure and capacity to build farm worker led initiatives. 2. Build workers, farmers, and volunteers’ capacity to identify resources and coordinate access to health needs. 3. Create, support and provide learning and educational opportunities for farmers, community leaders, educators, students and service providers to promote more culturally competent, informed and locally responsive networks to help meet basic needs and inform broader social change efforts. 4. Raise awareness and build support networks to challenge US immigration, economic, and trade policies and practices that adversely affect farm workers and family farmers on both sides of the border while raising awareness and generating support for alternatives to migration. 5. Build the organization in terms of active members, leaders, donors, and overall infrastructure to sustain itself over the long term. To meet our goals VTMFSP organized its work around three key program areas. The Community Organizing Program supports and develops farm worker leadership, capacity and networks to create social change. We offer support and trainings to farm workers, farmers, and service providers to effectively respond to the practical and political needs of farm workers. The Popular Education Program facilitates and promotes local discussion, reflection and action around issues directly relevant to farmer and farm worker struggles. We work with farm workers, farmers, teachers and students to create learning projects that strengthen intercultural communication and social justice action. The Community Health Program works to support and develop a community of migrant farm workers, health providers and volunteers to improve the delivery of and access to health services for migrant farm workers.