Foreign Migrant Workers Bring Welcomed Economic Boost to Susanville as Harvest Season Gets Underway

Susan Quale, Vice President of Sierra Cascade Nursery Human Resources Department, addressed the Susanville City Council on Wednesday. Susan noted that Susanville will begin to see the influx of migrant workers the nursery hires each year as soon as next week. An initial crew of 40 arrive this coming Monday, and by September 18th, another 550 will arrive.

The workers will be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds, rendering it unusable during the picking season. To which Susan extended Sierra Cascade’s appreciation to the fairgrounds for accommodating the workforce through their months-long stint in town.

The first day of work begins September 22nd and will run through the month of November, working six days a week with Sundays off, which will be the day you most likely will see them throughout town.

You may see them out spending their earned wages, as Susan says workers love shopping in Susanville as their dollar goes further than when they return to Mexico. Susan added, nearly a million dollars come into the local economy.

SNC also contributes another 600 workers in Tule Lake during the harvest season.

The city has been known to welcome the workers to town with a banner flown along SR 36 seen just as you enter town.