In this episode of Conservation Stories, host Tillery Timmons-Sims speaks with Joe Martinez, founder of a nonprofit dedicated to helping U.S. farms legally recruit agricultural workers through the H-2A, H-2B, and TN visa programs. With decades of agricultural labor challenges as the backdrop, Joe explains how his organization connects farmers with trained, reliable laborers from Mexico, Guatemala, and beyond—offering not just workers, but long-term relationships that support both farm productivity and community development.
The conversation explores the history of undocumented farm labor, the pressures of immigration enforcement, and how the formal visa system provides a more sustainable solution for farmers facing rising costs and uncertainty. Joe shares how professionalizing the workforce benefits everyone: farmers gain consistency, retailers strengthen their supply chains, and workers’ home communities thrive as wages are reinvested in land, businesses, and infrastructure.
Together, Tillery and Joe highlight the bigger picture—how consumer choices, corporate accountability, and labor reform intersect to shape the future of American agriculture. This episode reveals a powerful truth: feeding and clothing the world depends not only on crops and livestock, but also on the people whose hands harvest and sustain them.
More about our guests:
Joe Martinez, CEO, Cierto, H2A H2B TN Visa Recruiter
For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com
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Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.
Upcoming Episodes Include:
• Bryan Gilvesy, Chief Strategy Officer at ALUS, Owner Y U Ranch.
• Jim Bradbury, Attorney
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