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José Arturo Gónzalez Mendoza was a 30-year-old H-2A visa guest farmworker from Mexico who began employment at our farm on August 25, 2023. This was his first year working on our farm. He was harvesting sweetpotatoes on the morning of September 5th when he reported to his field supervisor that he was not feeling well and went back to rest on the bus (farmworker transportation used to travel to/from the field) until he felt better. Shortly thereafter, one of our on-site management personnel checked on him and immediately called 911 for medical assistance.

At this time, we do not know the cause of death but understand that state officials are performing an autopsy to determine exactly what happened.

The health and safety of our employees is of the utmost importance and is taken very seriously at Barnes Farming. Our company makes every effort to comply with all regulatory requirements and we follow well-established policies concerning workplace safety and environmental conditions.

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