Help North Country H2A Workers Rebuild After Category 5 Hurricane Melissa Destroyed Their Homes

Our Juniper Hill Farm (23 workers), Forrence Orchards (180 harvest-season workers), and Latrimore Pine Ridge Eggs (8 workers) have relied on Jamaican farmworkers for many seasons to bring delicous food to your tables.

On October 28th, 2025, Hurricane Melissa made landfall on the island of Jamaica, home to numerous farm workers who have been employed in the North Country. The devastating storm brought catastrophic flooding and winds, resulting in widespread destruction across the island. Many of our farm workers in the North Country have been severely impacted, with homes completely destroyed, leaving their loved ones without shelter or access to food.

In the aftermath of the hurricane, some individuals have had to wait days to hear from their loved ones, while others remain uncertain about the fate of their family members. The uncertainty and fear they must be experiencing are unbearable. Our farm workers have been an integral part of our community, working tirelessly alongside us for years, and in some cases, decades. They have formed lasting bonds with us, and we consider them part of our family. It is now our responsibility to reciprocate their dedication and support. We urge the North Country community to join forces and assist our Jamaican farm workers in their time of need.

Our objective is to raise funds to purchase essential items, including food, building materials, and other necessities, to aid in the reconstruction of their homes. The funds collected will be utilized to procure these items and transport them to Jamaica in a 40-foot sea container.

Let us join forces in helping our Jamaican family rebuild their homes.

Depending on the funds raised and volumes of items donated from other sources, we intend to purchase at least one shipment but more if possible.

Each farm on its own will be contributing money and supplies outside of this campaign to fill these containers.

Approx costs: $6,000 per shipping container

$10,000+ Rice, beans, cooking oil, soaps, trash bags, toiletries, etc.

$10,000+ Roofing materials and screws

$10,000+ Lumber, tar paper, and other essential building supplies

The Jamaican government has waived import fees on all goods, meaning there is much more value in items that would usually see a large tariff.

We have chosen to fund a container with supplies as opposed to direct monetary gifts for several reasons:

1. Our farm workers can choose the aid items while they are here in the States, and it will be received by their families 10 days after shipment.

2. As with many natural disasters, the price of materials increases so much that buying power is severely diminished. Products coming from the United States without tariffs are drastically cheaper on any given day, let alone in a disaster.

3. Many of these essential items are going to be hard to purchase in the short term. We can guarantee our workers get their needs met.

4. Workers going home very shortly will be directly involved in the distribution of the container when it hits the ground, ensuring the right people get what is needed.

Thank you for your consideration!

We appreciate your dedication to local food and our farms all of these years.