On August 20th 2025, six workers died from toxic gas exposure at a dairy farm called Prospect Valley Dairy in Colorado. The victims included a father and his two sons – the youngest of whom was only 17 years old.
They all died in the underground pump room of the dairy’s manure management system from acute exposure to hydrogen sulfide. And safety advocates say the deaths were utterly tragic, but entirely avoidable.
Across the country, most farm workers are injured or die in anonymity. But the scale of this agricultural incident – described by some advocates as the deadliest in recent Colorado history – makes it impossible to ignore. And it has brought renewed focus to what it means to live and die as a farmworker in Colorado.
In this episode, we look at what can be done to prevent deadly incidents like the one at that Colorado dairy farm. And we ask: who should be held responsible when workers are injured or die?
Plus, we examine what elected officials, farm owners, and community members owe to one of our most vulnerable workforces. What do these men and women need to live safe, dignified lives?
Host: Maria Hinojosa
Producer and reporter: Rebeca Ibarra
Editor: Fernanda Echavarri
Fact Checker: Roxana Aguirre
Social Media: Mary Juarez, Essam Aljahmi
Sound Designer: Levi Sharpe
Engineer: JJ Querubin
Managing Editor: Fernanda Echavarri
Executive Producers: Peniley Ramirez and Maria Hinojosa
On August 20th 2025, six workers died from toxic gas exposure at a dairy farm called Prospect Valley Dairy in Colorado. The victims included a father and his two sons – the youngest of whom was only 17 years old.
They all died in the underground pump room of the dairy’s manure management system from acute exposure to hydrogen sulfide. And safety advocates say the deaths were utterly tragic, but entirely avoidable.
Across the country, most farm workers are injured or die in anonymity. But the scale of this agricultural incident – described by some advocates as the deadliest in recent Colorado history – makes it impossible to ignore. And it has brought renewed focus to what it means to live and die as a farmworker in Colorado.
In this episode, we look at what can be done to prevent deadly incidents like the one at that Colorado dairy farm. And we ask: who should be held responsible when workers are injured or die?
Plus, we examine what elected officials, farm owners, and community members owe to one of our most vulnerable workforces. What do these men and women need to live safe, dignified lives?
Host: Maria Hinojosa
Producer and reporter: Rebeca Ibarra
Editor: Fernanda Echavarri
Fact Checker: Roxana Aguirre
Social Media: Mary Juarez, Essam Aljahmi
Sound Designer: Levi Sharpe
Engineer: JJ Querubin
Managing Editor: Fernanda Echavarri
Executive Producers: Peniley Ramirez and Maria Hinojosa
