Our Five Seasons: Farmworker's Warning on Climate Change

From the Fields, Sounding the Alarm of Climate Change 

Our Five Seasons offers powerful, first-hand accounts of what is happening to our food system in the face of climate change. Drawing from the lived knowledge of farmworkers—those on the front lines of our changing environment—this book reveals the dramatic and subtle changes that are impacting U.S. agriculture and the reality of what it is like to live and work under these conditions. 

While the challenges facing our food system may seem distant from our everyday lives, in truth, the dangers that threaten farmworker lives and wellbeing impact all of us. The struggles with Cold, Heat, Storms, Fires, and Pesticides that farmworkers face are not just consequences of global warming but of a system that is becoming increasingly unstable, unsafe, and unhealthy. Through powerful storytelling and first-hand accounts, Our Five Seasons gives voice to those who have been ignored and relates the biggest threats to U.S. agriculture in farmworkers’ own words. It shares wisdom shaped by heatwaves, floods, fires, and pesticide drift —and by the deep connection farmworkers have to the land they work. You’ll hear from seasoned pickers, irrigators, and organizers who are sounding the alarm on our food system from the fields.

Learn about:

• the generations of knowledge and experience that farmworkers bring to their labor;
• the dangers and hardships they face at home and in the workplace;
• workers’ innovation and adaptation to address climate threats;
• their warnings for consumers further down the food system;
• and much more. . .

Our Five Seasons will shift how you understand our food system in a changing climate —not as a distant crisis, but as a daily reality already shaping lives and labor. Whether you're a policymaker seeking practical solutions, an advocate fighting for justice, or someone who simply wants to listen and learn, this book will deepen your understanding of the climate crisis from the people who know it best.

From the Author:

From my conversations with farmworkers across the U.S., it became clear that climate change is radically changing the conditions of agriculture and can no longer be understood in traditional terms. Our Five Seasons shifts our perceptions from winter, spring, summer, and fall to highlight the seasons that have the greatest impact on farmworker lives and our food supply. In this way, Cold, Heat, Storms, Fires, and Pesticides have become central actors in farmworker lives and labor, redefining our modern food system, and impacting all of us through the food we eat.

Alina Zàrate is a PhD student in the Energy and Resources Group at UC Berkeley and longtime farmworker justice advocate. She began working for the UFW in 2018 and has dedicated her graduate studies to investigating the relationship between climate change and farm labor.

Edward Dennis is an illustrator, art teacher, and social media marketing expert with experience working with numerous businesses, hotels, and restaurants. Additionally, Edward has multiple books, including the Boy From Mexico series. He currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his family. 

Arturo S. Rodriguez served as president of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) for 25 years, continuing the legacy of Cesar Chavez During his tenure, he expanded union membership through aggressive organizing and negotiating campaigns, securing contracts with major agricultural employers across the U.S. He currently lives in San Antonio, Texas, still working to improve the working conditions for farm workers.