… In structures designed to control the growing environment of plants, some workers described humidity with temperatures sometimes soaring past 100 degrees Fahrenheit…

The number of greenhouse and nursery workers has increased by over 16,000 people in recent years, according to data from the latest U.S. agricultural census. Some work in conventional operations like commercial nurseries, others in buzzy startups that tout indoor agriculture as a climate change solution.

The data, along with stories of 10 current and former greenhouse workers approached by The Associated Press, shows a growing population of workers who are increasingly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, injuries and death as global temperatures rise and greenhouses become more popular. They work in a gray area – they’re both indoor and agricultural workers, but are not always included in efforts to protect the latter…

… workers who don’t get enough time for breaks outside or in cooler environments, whose shifts are not pushed earlier or later in the summer and whose managers ignore their concerns are the most at risk…

In what was supposed to be a “climate-resilient food system,” workers say temperatures frequently reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 Celsius). That was inside facilities at AppHarvest...

AppHarvest, which has since declared bankruptcy, did not respond to a detailed list of questions about these problems...