- Listen to the entire program<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/p>\n
![\"The](\"http:\/\/www.shineglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/poster-no-tag-200x300.jpg\")
Most Americans don’t think about the origins of the produce that stocks our supermarket shelves. From tomatoes to strawberries, and everything in between, the fruits and vegetables we eat are almost certainly picked by severely under-paid farm workers mostly from Latin America, who constantly move from one town to the next, harvesting produce. Even if we have a vague notion of who picks our food, the fact that there are young children on farms rarely appears on our radar. Yet, more than 400,000 children, who are American citizens, work the fields picking fruits and vegetables. A new documentary called The Harvest (La Cosecha) profiling three young people explores the harsh reality of their lives. Twelve year old Zulema Lopez, 14 year old Perla Sanchez, and 16 year old Victor Huapilla, share their stories in intimate detail as they migrate with their families from one job to the next, changing schools, missing school days, and wondering if their dreams of a better life will ever materialize. Farm work is brutal, with temperatures soaring as high as 107 degrees, constant bending, and hauling heavy bins of food, and exposure to toxic chemicals. When it is available, the work pays little and families often go hungry and suffer from myriad health problems. The Harvest, executive produced by actor Eva Longoria, and directed by U Roberto Romano, shines a much-needed light on the labor conditions facing America’s most vulnerable youth. Along with Cinema Libre Studios, the film is presented by Shine Global, an organization dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of children through films. The Harvest opens at the Laemmle theaters this Friday August 5th. <\/p>\nGUESTS: Susan Laury is one of the Executive Producers of the film, The Harvest, and co-founder of Shine Global, Albie Hecht is the Co-Founder of Shine Global, and Chairman of its Board of Directors<\/em><\/p>\n
The Harvest opens on Friday August 5th at the Laemmle Music Hall 3 in Beverly Hills, 9036 Wilshire Blvd. <\/p>\n
Find out more about the film at www.theharvestfilm.com<\/a> and www.shineglobal.org<\/a><\/p>\n
Watch a trailer of the film here: <\/p>\n