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(Para una versión en español, haga clic aquí.)
Partner Spotlight: Grant Support Helps Oceana County AELs Protect and Support Farmworkers
The Community Foundation for Oceana County has once again played a vital role in supporting the health and safety of Michigan’s Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers (MSFWs). In 2025, Agricultural Employment Liaison (AEL) Julia Briones had her “three wishes” granted through the generosity of three funders: the William R. Lathers Foundation, the Frank Family Memorial Fund, and the Oceana Foundation Administrative Fund.
Julia shared the needs of farmworkers and her wishes to help meet those needs with Open Wish Mini Grants. Her requests focused on items that would help workers stay hydrated and protected from extreme weather conditions.
Thanks to this support, Julia received support for:
- Water backpacks
- Bucket hats
- Winter socks
These simple yet essential items have helped hundreds of farmworkers stay safe and comfortable in the fields, hydrated during hot weather and warm during cold harvest days. This important effort was made possible through collaboration between AELs Julia Briones and Jose Barco, and the Community Foundation, whose continued commitment ensures that MSFWs are not only seen but supported.
LEO-AES sincerely thanks the donors for their generosity and compassion. Their contributions make a real difference in the lives of the farmworkers who plant, pick, pack, and ship the food that feeds families across the nation. We are proud to partner with the Community Foundation to show appreciation for the hardworking individuals whose labor sustains Michigan’s agriculture industry.
Julia’s efforts are greatly appreciated and reflect the foundational work the AES team members contribute to supporting farmworkers during Michigan’s harvest season and beyond.
The Agricultural Employment Services (AES) team at LEO continues its year-round commitment to Michigan’s Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers (MSFW) through ongoing outreach efforts. Working in collaboration with partner agencies, the AES team connects with farmworkers directly in the areas where they live, gather, and work, including labor camps, fields, and community spaces across the state
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These efforts ensure that farmworkers have access to vital services such as employment assistance, job training, education, health care, legal aid, and information about their rights in the workplace. As these essential workers help harvest the crops that make Michigan second in the nation for agricultural diversity, the AES team remains dedicated to supporting them with equitable access to resources that strengthen skills, promote well-being, and empower long-term success
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National Farmworker Job Program (NFJP)
The NFJP Business and Community Liaison, Anakaren Salinas and Targeted Services, Division Administrator Hector Arroyo Jr recently attended the RMHI/WAFA Conference in Spokane, Washington, held July 7–10, 2025. The event featured a range of impactful sessions centered on strengthening workforce strategies and services for farmworker communities.
Key sessions included Youth Services and Strategies, Sector Strategies and Employer Outreach, Emotional Intelligence, and Case Management. These workshops provided valuable insights and practical tools to enhance the team’s service delivery and outreach.
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The conference also served as a valuable networking opportunity. The NFJP team connected with fellow grantees such as Oregon Human Development Corporation, California Human Development, and Black Hills Special Services Cooperative. These exchanges fostered collaboration and the sharing of best practices to support program improvement.
Event highlights included federal policy updates from expert Lee Foley and an inspiring keynote address by Washington State Senator Nikki Torres (District 15). The team also engaged in a productive discussion with Kendra Moesle (pictured), Director of Workforce Development at the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP), on national strategies and innovations in farmworker workforce development.
Overall, the Spokane conference was a meaningful and energizing experience, reinforcing the NFJP team’s dedication to ongoing learning, strategic partnerships, and enhanced support for farmworker communities.
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The National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) Outreach and Enrollment Coordinators (OECs) have enhanced their outreach efforts by partnering closely with Agriculture Employment Liaisons (AELs) throughout the state. This collaboration is dedicated to connecting migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) with vital services such as career training, housing assistance, and educational resources. Pictured is AEL, Clarikssa Mejia and Outreach and Employment Coordinator (OEC), Cristo Garcia
AELs engage directly with MSFWs in their communities to raise awareness about available support, while OECs play a pivotal role in identifying and referring low-income, eligible farmworkers and their dependents to a broad range of services, including skills assessments, job search assistance, financial literacy education, and housing support. Together, these efforts improve economic stability and overall quality of life for Michigan’s agricultural workforce.
For more information or to access these services, individuals are encouraged to contact their local Michigan Works! Service Center The Michigan Works! Network — MichiganWorks! Association or visit the LEO - National Farmworker Jobs Program.
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Abigail Frost who goes by Abby, joins the team as a new NFJP Outreach and Enrollment Coordinator. She currently resides in Holland, Michigan, and is originally from Ionia.
Abby is a graduate of Michigan State University, where she earned a BA in Social Relations and Policy, along with minors in Agribusiness Management and Science, Technology, Environment, and Public Policy. Prior to joining the team, she worked with the USDA Farm Service Agency as a County Executive Director in Training, gaining valuable experience supporting agricultural producers and rural communities.
She brings a strong passion for connecting individuals to resources and strengthening communities through meaningful, accessible outreach.
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Katalina Soria joined the SMA Office on July 21, 2025, as the Compliance Monitoring Analyst. She is a recent graduate of Grand Valley State University where she majored in Human Resource Management. Katalina grew up in Southwest Michigan alongside six siblings that have all attended or are attending Hartford High School. Katalina and her family have worked for the same farm for nearly 26 years. Growing up on the farm, she helped pack fruits and vegetables and while in high school and college, assisted the farm owner in the office helping workers complete employment-related forms. Katalina’s background and education will be an asset to the SMA office.
Katalina will be working in the State Monitor Advocate office where she will provide the State Workforce Agency and Michigan Works! offices technical assistance to comply with federal regulations.
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The benefits increase is another way UIA is helping Michigan workers and employers under its modernization plan to be a national model for fast, fair, and fraud-free service. Some of the innovative solution-based resources UIA has developed include:
- The UIA Claimant Roadmap, a six-step, user-friendly guide to applying for and understanding benefits. Access the roadmap at gov/UIAClaimantRoadmap.
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Online Coaching Sessions, which are web-based group sessions on topics such as filing a first-time claim, understanding a Monetary Determination Letter, the protest and appeals process, and seeking work and registration requirements. The First-time Filer Coaching Session is also available in Spanish.
- A comprehensive library of helpful resources for federal employees who have been terminated can be found at gov/FederalWorkerHelp.
- Expanded free legal help through the Advocacy Program to help more workers and employers with appeals of UIA redeterminations.
- The UIA Economic Dashboard, which provides a deep dive into underlying data and trends in unemployment insurance in Michigan at gov/UIAEconomicDashboard.
- The UIA Modernization Workgroup, a coalition of thought leaders from the labor, business, and jobless advocate communities who provide insight into how the agency can better serve Michigan’s workers and employers.
- The plain-language Employer Help Center at gov/UIAEmployerHelpCenter that answers employers’ questions about unemployment tax and claim issues.
Need help or have questions about UIA?
Meet with us: Schedule an in-person, phone, or virtual meeting at Michigan.gov/UIA.
Chat with us: Available through MiWAM Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Ask us: UIA’s chatbot at Michigan.gov/UIA can answer many claimant and employer questions.
Search us online: FAQs, videos, toolkits, and other resources at Michigan.gov/UIA.
Talk with us: Claimants can call 1-866-500-0017, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Employers can call the Office of Employer Ombudsman at 1-855-484-2636, Option 4.
The Foreign Labor Services (FLS) team has initiated post-certification site visits since June 2025, with H-2A and H-2B employers as part of their ongoing efforts to ensure that all terms and conditions outlined in the job order are properly followed. These visits are focused on verifying employment conditions, reviewing housing and/or transportation standards, and providing technical assistance where applicable.
Employers have demonstrated a strong level of cooperation, and initial observations indicate broad agreement with program requirements.
The FLS team is scheduled to complete a total of 60 post-certification site visits by September 30, 2025. To date, nearly 30 of these visits have been successfully completed.
For questions or additional information, please contact leo-flcoffice@michigan.gov
From July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, Michigan Works! and the Agricultural and Employment Services AEL staff assisted 5,617 migrant or seasonal farm workers (MSFWs) with their employment service registration; 1,035 of those registered obtained or were assisted obtained long-term non-agricultural employment.
During the same timeframe, AELs provided outreach services to 27,783 migrant or seasonal farm workers and visited 2,560 agriculture and non-agriculture employers. In 2023, Michigan had the fourth-largest number of MSFW participants in the country with 3,892. Preliminary data indicates 4,563 of the 5,617 registered MSFWs received participant level career services. Michigan continues to provide a high level of outreach employment services to MSFWs who live and work in the state.
https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/wd/afls/panel-state-monitor
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/agriculture/monitor-advocate-system
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Agricultural & Foreign Labor Services
Workforce Development
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
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