CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT
Golden Eagle Ag Labor has grown from farmworker roots into one of the Southeast’s most trusted H-2A labor contractors by supporting growers and treating workers with respect.
A vision for better farm labor
Golden Eagle Ag Labor was founded with a clear mission: to provide reliable, respected farm labor while treating workers with dignity. Since its first contract in 2019 with just 12 workers, the company has grown to bring hundreds of H-2A workers to farms across Florida, Georgia, and the surrounding region each year.
Golden Eagle’s success is rooted not only in its ability to navigate the complex regulations of farm labor contracting, but also in its commitment to ensuring that both growers and workers feel supported and valued.
From working the fields to owning a business
For Golden Eagle’s founder Jesus Gonzales, farming has always been a part of life. Growing up in a farmworker family, he spent most of his time in the fields harvesting bell peppers and other crops alongside his grandfather, who worked as a contractor. His mother would go to school at night and work the fields during the day, striving for a better way of life, and Jesus would join her. He always felt “at peace, calm, and comfortable” working the land.
Those early experiences instilled in him a deep respect for the work and the people who do it. He left agriculture to go to college and prepare for a career in law, though he continued working for a local farmer during summers. During one summer, he was introduced to the H-2A program and saw first-hand the impact it had - on workers from outside the US and American growers alike.
After graduating, he began working at a law firm but kept being drawn back to the varied, complex aspects of agriculture. With his combination of skills and knowledge, he realized that farm labor contracting was where he could make the biggest difference - where he could “do it right.”
Leading by example
Like many agriculture business owners, Jesus has a willingness to work side by side with the very people he employs. His background gives him credibility, empathy, and an ability to motivate teams — qualities that have fueled Golden Eagle’s rapid growth and earned the respect of both workers and growers. During the company’s early years, he made a point to work in the fields with his team, driving the bus to and from job sites, and even sleeping in worker provided housing.
“In any business, you get respect from seeing your boss grinding, just as he asks of you," Jesus notes.
This approach shaped Golden Eagle’s culture. Even today, workers talk about how Jesus was willing and able to do the work they do. This motivates the workers to do their best, and leads to a ripple effect that growers notice. One grower even told Jesus that “his guys care more about his farm than some of his own family do.”
However, running a farm labor contracting business requires a lot of time and attention. Between regulations, audits, and the logistics of coordinating hundreds of workers, there are constant challenges. Jesus mentions the need to always be prepared; he knows audits could happen at any moment, and makes sure all paperwork/documentation is ready to show at a moment’s notice.
And above all, he’s focused on ensuring stability, trust and reliability for both farmers and workers.
“Every farmer around the area is looking for someone to trust,” Jesus explains.
He is working hard to provide even more value to the farmers he works with. That’s why using Seso’s platform has been such a benefit — Jesus is able to show the farmers he works with exactly how he is managing his workers and their required paperwork through the platform.
Advice for the next generation
Looking back on his journey, Jesus offers a few key pieces of advice for aspiring farm labor contractors and growers:
“Show the workers you can do what they do, and always be humble. God can giveth and God can taketh away. Believe in yourself and your workers will always be by your side. Be the first one, the fastest one, and show everyone you’re out there sweating with them.”
And finally, when it comes to building a business: take the chance, surround yourself with the right people, and always do the right thing.
Photos courtesy of Jesus Gonzales and Golden Eagle Ag Labor.
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