Migrant workers fill gap for local farmer

Matt Holland, owner of Holland Agriculture in Ellendale, says he is pleased with his choice to hire 23 workers from South Africa through the H2A Agency of the US Department of Labor. "It's been great so far. These guys work so hard, they’ve been amazing.” 

 

He said the workers started arriving one by one over the last week of July and into August, but admits they should have come sooner: “We planted sweet corn early this year, it was ready to harvest by July 20. Usually we don’t start harvesting sweet corn till August 1. So, it was a mistake to have these guys arrive as late as they did. I will not make that mistake next year.”

 

Holland operates a farm which manages 10,000 acres of land where field corn, sweet corn, soybeans and peas are grown. Holland Ag provides manure pumping services.

 

He says he hopes the migrant workers will return next year: “If I had known how great this would all work out, I would’ve done it five years ago. It has been difficult with hiring lately, we just can’t seem to get dependable labor, but we don’t have that problem with these guys.” The workers have licenses which qualify them to drive farm trucks; they have also been performing general labor on the farm. Their work permits allow them to be in the U.S. through the agricultural season. Added Holland, “They get their drivers licenses through the USA Farm Labor agency, so they’re all certified and good to go by the time they get to me.” 

 

New Richland residents and property owners Keith and Melisa Leonardo, in partnership with Holland Ag, were recently approved by the New Richland city council for bunkhouse housing for migrant agricultural workers.

 

According to Melisa, the building in question is a former laundromat that had stood empty for some time before the Leonardos purchased it in April of 2025. “It was empty inside and needed some work. We’ve leased that building to Holland Ag so the guys they hired from southern Africa have a place to stay. We looked into this, around southern Minnesota there are 12 other bunkhouses like this. This is really not a new concept, Waseca has done it and a few other local towns; this is really only new to New Richland.”

 

The Leonardos own and manage 11 residential rental and two commercial properties–the Panther Power House Gym and a warehouse on Division Street–within New Richland city limits. Keith reports they have received only positive feedback from neighbors around their property. “The neighbors have been very nice to the migrants. The businesses in town they’ve visited have all had nice things to say. The men themselves have complimented us on how nice our property has been to stay in; they said it was the nicest they’ve seen.”