BLog

This is about reality, not politics. It is about shared values: dignity, sustainability, respect, and community.

At Sunnyside Gardens, we recognize, value, and appreciate the immigrant workers whose skill and dedication shape our industry every day. Without them, everything changes. With them, our gardens—and our communities—continue to grow.

The simple truth

Horticulture in the United States is deeply dependent on immigrant labor. From the food we eat to the plants that line our streets, parks, and backyards, much of what grows in this country does so because of the hands, knowledge, and care of immigrant workers.

This work is daily, physical, and skilled. It happens early in the morning, late into the evening, in heat, cold, rain, and wind. Many people enjoy plants without ever seeing who grows them, harvests them, ships them, installs them, and maintains them. But those invisible steps are the backbone of our industry.

Where immigrant labor shows up

Immigrant workers are present at nearly every stage of the horticultural and agricultural pipeline. They grow seedlings in greenhouses, tend nursery stock in fields, harvest crops and seed, care for tree farms, and install and maintain landscapes in our cities and neighborhoods. They show up season after season for work that is time-sensitive, weather-dependent, and essential — work that keeps gardens planted, farms productive, and green spaces thriving.

This labor crosses between horticulture and agriculture industries. Fruits, vegetables, grains, and seed crops rely on the same skilled hands and deep agricultural knowledge. From food systems to flower beds, these industries are interconnected — and they depend on people who understand plants from the ground up.

Why this work is hard to replace

This is not work that can be easily automated, outsourced, or learned overnight. It is physically demanding and highly seasonal, often requiring long days in extreme heat, cold, or unpredictable weather. Success depends on years of experience — knowing when to plant, how to read soil and weather, how to handle living material that does not wait.

Many immigrants choose agricultural and horticultural work not because it is easy, but because it is available, dependable, and rooted in skills they already possess. For some, this knowledge is generational. For others, it offers a way to support families when other employment options are limited or inaccessible. Over time, that experience becomes expertise — expertise our entire system relies on.

What happens when disrupted

When immigrant labor is disrupted, the impacts ripple outward:

• Crop losses and delayed harvests
• Plant shortages and reduced availability
• Smaller farms, nurseries, and growers struggling to survive
• Less diversity in plants, food, and landscapes
• Reduced access for everyone

These changes affect not just growers, but gardeners, homeowners, communities, and local food systems.

The human side of horticulture

The people doing this work are not invisible. They are parents, grandparents, neighbors, and friends. They are raising families, building lives, and contributing deeply to the places they live. Horticulture is human work, done by human hands, and those hands deserve dignity, safety, and respect. When we talk about plants, gardens, and landscapes, we are also talking about people.

Horticulture is human work done by humans who deserve humane treatment.

Why this matters to gardeners

Gardens, food systems, and green spaces are all connected. What happens upstream—in fields, greenhouses, and nurseries—directly affects what reaches our backyards, balconies, and parks.

Supporting humane systems protects access, affordability, and quality. You cannot separate parks, produce, and gardens from the people who make them possible.