Farm Laborers in Fort Dodge, Iowa, August 1957

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Courtesy of the State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines Register & Tribune, August 1957

Description

#2 Occupation: Farm Laborer
These men are detasseling corn near Fort Dodge, Iowa. They are migrant workers, which means that they moved from farm to farm doing whatever job was needed at the time. They were paid an hourly wage. Farm laborers did the same jobs as farmers but did not own the land or the equipment. That means they did not have the same risks as the land owner, but they also did not get the big profits that the land owner would have in a good year.

Source-Dependent Questions

• What is the working environment for a farm laborer?
• What skills do these farm laborers need in order to be successful at his job?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages to being a farm laborer?