Where there’s sea there’s salt. The Dominican Republic being almost completely surrounded by sea, salt farms are strategically placed around the island. Farms come with jobs, and this one’s no joke.

The people who work the farm are mostly Haitian, a few Dominicans in the area have worked there in the past. All can attest for how difficult of a job it is. Not only is it tough physically, but once you can’t pull your weight, you’re done, no benefits, no pension, no nothing.

From the little time that I spent walking around and taking pictures I could already tell that this job was heavy duty. These guys are constantly shoveling heaps of wet, heavy salt into old, rusted trollies. Rolling them over beat up, lopsided rails and pushing them up a slight incline to hook them onto a latch that will finish pulling the trolly the rest of the way up.

The first day we got there, we saw the employees working until right before the sunset. The next day, up bright and early, shortly after the sunrise, they were at it again. Shoveling, pushing, and sweating their way through the midday scorching sun. These guys go at it like machines.

This  series of photos was shot in Las Salinas, located next to Las Dunas de Bani, in the South of the island where there’s a peninsula which is great geography for a salt farm.

Check out the rest of the photo essay below and think of these guys the next time you salt your food!