Comments

"Growing Season is a thoughtful and compassionate portrait of hard-working, often misunderstood people. It is an important book whose timing couldn't be better, a book that goes to the core of what it means to be human – our faith, our work, our need for each other, our traditions and our family – regardless of where or how we live. "

Dave LaBelle, University of Kentucky
Author of The Great Picture Hunt and Lessons in Death and Life


Growing Season: The Life of a Migrant Community was an amazing piece of work. Everything about this essay is perfect. It is a terrific example of finding stories about Ohio and covering them.”

Judge
Ohio News Photographers Association - Pictures of the year competition

“Your images and narratives are, taken together, full of nuance and complexity and subtlety. Something greater than the sum of the parts rises out of your images and stories because of the ‘resonance’ of human life that is sounded.”

Terry Lee
Co-Editor, Double-Take/ Points of Entry

“It was a fantastic and wonderful memory I will always take with me. Thank you for all that you are doing to bring the light and life of the migrants to the future people that need to know them for who they really are.”

Audience Member
University Photographers Association of America - Symposium Presentation

“It tapped the heart of an unspoken community and made it speak.”

Student
Community Health Nursing - Kent State University

“ I was fascinated with this community and honestly I thought it was very inspiring. I don’t exactly know what I want to do with nursing, but this presentation opened up more options in my mind. I thought it was beautiful! Thanks.”

Student
Community Health Nursing - Kent State University

“It helped me to realize that they have real lives outside of working and some of the people made great sacrifices to be where they are. Family and life events are just as important to them as me.”

Anonymous

“I grew up around migrant workers my whole life and this is exactly how I depicted them. Friends of my family own a vegetable farm, so we get to see these same relationships.”

Student
Community Health Nursing - Kent State University

“It gave an insight to a culture that few are able to experience. The stereotypes that people hold can be shattered by the presentation.”

Student
Community Health Nursing - Kent State University

“ The presenation so captured for me the connectedness of all things. To gain such entry into that little known forgotten world to share the passion and love for work, community, art – wonderful, inspirational.”

Student
Community Health Nursing - Kent State University


“You will discover that the true power of this book derives from a unique combination of captivating photographs and personal “voices,” the result of which is a rich encounter with real people who you feel are your friends and neighbors by the time you finish the book.”

North Canton resident and businessman


“Growing Season taught me something. It was an eye-opener and gave me a whole different perspective on migrant workers. It will speak to anyone, no matter his or her opinion on immigrants and migrant workers. No matter what side you’re on, it gives you food for thought.”

A local farmer for over 75 years
From a story in the Massillon Independent

Growing Season is about planting more than crops. “It’s about a beginning; the beginning of growth, understanding and tolerance of diversity. Most of us are too many generations removed from immigration. We forget our families came here for a fresh start.”

Washington High School teacher
From a story in the Massillon Independent

The support the migrant workers received from the Hartville community is impressive. Despite the hardships of transient lifestyles, the migrant workers have a good family life, good values. “They know what’s really important in life. It shows as different as we all are, in many ways we are all the same.”

Massillon’s Housing Director
From a story in the Massillon Independent

“I don’t think this is the kind of book people will read and ever really close. It will lay open in our thoughts. It’s like a well you can dip into again and again.” The authors were inspired to look and listen at the corner of everyday life that’s nearly invisible and inaudible. Their findings are presented with sensitivity and tenderness, receptivity and wonder. Every story is sacred. “Growing Season, “ is more of an experience than a book, “an experience that will prove enriching to people from all walks of life.”

A retired schoolteacher, A teacher of a memoir writing class, Massillon Senior Center
From a story in the Massillon Independent

“No matter who you are or what kind of different community you live in, you need to learn about other people and be interested in their lives, if they’re terrible or happy or sad. You need to learn from them.

Whittier Elementary School 3rd grade student
From a story in the Massillon Independent

“Growing Season” is a unique book. “It’s real information, not make-believe. People need to understand this truth about how some migrant workers live. This book really opens your eyes and teaches us about different cultures and their hopes.” Ivan Soto wanted to learn English, for instance, “and he practiced and practiced so he could become part of our country. It shows us if we believe hard enough and work hard enough, we can achieve our goals.”

Bowers Elementary School student
From a story in the Massillon Independent

“Migrant workers travel around to different places to do work. Everyone does their part. Just when you get used to a place, you move again. But it’d be harder for them because they don’t speak English. It’d be the same for us if we moved to Mexico.”

Smith Elementary School student
From a story in the Massillon Independent

“ I love the book. It makes me feel like I’m a part of this community.”

Whittier Elementary School student
From a story in the Massillon Independent

“This wonderful book is so needed in this era of immigrant-bashing. I discovered “Growing Season” after a segment of it was excerpted in “The Sun” magazine. It’s such a pleasure to hear the stories of people from Latin America and those who work with them, and how the so-called “problem” or “invasion” of immigrants has actually provided benefits for countless people on both sides of the border.

***** “Five Star” Customer Review
Amazon.com

I really enjoyed reading and looking at the pictures in the book. After I read ‘Growing Season,’ I felt thankful that I’m taking English class and living in the U.S.”

Korean Immigrant, English as a Second Language class,
Canton City Schools and taught by Pat Dolezal.
From a story in the Canton Repository

“We have enjoyed reading about their experiences as immigrants in America. It’s helping us to continue with our lives in the new road God has given us.”

Colombian Immigrant.
English as a Second Language class
Canton City Schools and taught by Pat Dolezal.
From a story in the Canton Repository

Perceptions are used to create prejudice. Prejudice is used to justify positions and rationalize bias. Growing Season is a book of introspection, which has caused many readers to rethink their attitudes, their perceptions of people who have worked as migrant laborers, as a segment of our community.

As a result, we have grown in our understanding, empathy, tolerance and compassion of these people who work in the fields. As we begin to break down stereotypes, to create new perceptions, we begin to take a few steps toward ending prejudice and becoming one community. Our personal growth is a metaphorical manifestation of the Growing Season.

Curriculum Specialist for High School Social Studies
Canton City Schools

Rating: 3.89 out of 4
Comments: Inspirational, wow, different perspective, wonderful, heartfelt, very moving, compassionate and real, take time to know patients, thank you for sharing your passion with us.

Ohio Association of Free Clinics
Seventh Annual conference presentation

Starting with Gary Harwood's exquisite photographs and proceeding through David Hassler's enlightening narratives, "Growing Season: The Life of a Migrant Community" steadily filled my heart. I can hardly wait for Christmas to give a copy to my brother, who learned Spanish many years ago while picking apples with migrant workers in the Hood River Valley.

Kathleen in Oregon