The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has fined nine farms and 17 farm labor contractors doing business in Bladen and Craven counties, N.C., for violating federal labor law, including employing children as young as eight years old as farm laborers.

The investigation is part of the agency's ongoing agricultural initiative aimed at protecting the rights of farm workers under provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA).

Five of the nine agricultural employers were found to have employed underage workers. They are: Blueberry Hill Farms, Carter Farms, Morris Bros. Blueberry Farms, Nelson's Blueberry Farm and Thomas Milton Smith. Two of the 17 farm labor contractors — Macendonio Hernandez and Jesus Moto Serrano — were also cited for child labor violations.

Other employer violations include failure to disclose terms and conditions of employment as required by MSPA, recordkeeping violations and violations of federal minimum wage law. Penalties imposed against the 26 employers total $31,445 in addition to $40,010 in back wages owed to 428 farm workers.

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