Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/668668
www.goodfruit.com Good Fruit Grower MAY 1, 2016 35 Room to grow Trout's accident wasn't the only reason for starting the label. In an interview with Good Fruit Grower, she recalled accompanying her surrogate grandmother, who only spoke Spanish, to translate during medical appoint- ments when she was a child. Many farm worker families are in the same position, Trout said. "These adults are vulnerable. They're humiliated talking about really personal stuff, and they're supposed to have the respect of this little human," she said. "And the kids are trying to do right by their parents or grand- parents, but they're stressed they're not going to get it right. It's a really big issue." Many farm workers also often choose a physician solely because the provider speaks Spanish, even though that provider might not be at the top of his or her spe- cialty or have a great reputation, she said. "These are all choices that workers have to make, and as often, you're dealing with a lot of workers who don't have the opportunity because of where they are on the employment ladder to call in and say, 'I won't be in until 9:30 on Wednesday because I have a doctor's appoint- ment,'" she said. A board member of SOS, Trout said she would love to see the clinic feature a mobile unit in the future, but in the meantime, she'll settle for increasing the number of hours the clinic is open. In the first year, she'd like to double the clinic's operating expenses, and come close to tripling them in subsequent years. In the meantime, she's been visiting farm workers in the vineyards during the early morning hours, before her day at the winery begins to spread the word about the clinic. The reality is that the wine industry winds up with a lot of frustrating health situations, she said. "I'm not arguing we can fix that with Vital, but we can ease them if we start thinking creatively out of the box." •