Bainbridge, Georgia and surrounding Decatur county was the site of a week-long Farmworker Health Project in June 1998 and June 1999. Decatur county in the 1997 USDA Census of Agriculture County Profile showed 335 farms, averaging 491 acres. In the same year, these farms produced over $76 million in agricultural products, 87% of which was from crops. The 1997 Census of Agriculture listed Decatur County in the top five counties in Georgia for value of crop production.
During the Farmworker Health Project in June 1998, 209 farmworkers and dependents were seen at a variety of field and camp sites west and south of the city of Bainbridge. The majority of the workers seen were working in tomato fields. In addition, 133 children were seen in a Title I migrant education program at Lillian Williams Elementary School in Attapulgus, GA. Whereas almost all the adults seen at the camp sites were Latino/a, many Haitian children were seen at the school site. The FHP recognized the presence of Haitian crews in Decatur county, but did not have interpreter services arranged for these workers.
In June 1999, a second project was completed in Decatur County. Community partners and SOWEGA AHEC helped identify volunteer interpreters, including several individuals to serve as interpreters with Haitian workers. Approximately 465 workers and dependents were seen at various camp sites and at the Decatur County Health Department (the principal community partner). In addition, 212 children were seen at Lillian Williams Elementary School in Attapulgus. The average worker seen during the summer project:
 | was from Mexico |
| was 29.4 years old |
| was the child of a farmworker (approximately 66% indicated they were) |
| did not speak or read English (75.4% said they could not speak English, 84.5% could not read English) |
| had previously worked in Florida |
| had 5.8 years of education |
| had not received health care in the last year (23% had received health care) |
A graphical summary of the types of diagnoses made during the 1999 project is available.
In June 2000, approximately 523 farmworkers and family members were seen at a variety of sites. In addition, approximately 225 children were seen in the school based program. Demographics and diagnoses were similar to those obtained previously. Additionally, possible demographic differences were noted when viewed by country of origin (e.g., Mexico, Guatemala, Haiti). These trends continued in the 2001 data.
June 2003 was the biggest week of the Decatur County Project to-date, with 909 farmworkers and family members seen between field sites and the migrant summer school program. Data were similar to previous years. The Project was also recognized in 2003 as a finalist for the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award. You can view a video about the Decatur County Project, produced by Georgia State University.
Students enrolled in the Farmworker Health Course should read the module, Introduction to Haitian Farmworkers .