Image
![Wooden farmhouse seen in background. Man walking behind single-row plow seen with team of draft horses on a plowed field in foreground. Wooden farmhouse seen in background. Man walking behind single-row plow seen with team of draft horses on a plowed field in foreground.](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/primary-sources/images/history-education-pss-work-plow-source.jpg?itok=OHHYP8h3)
Description
#1 Occupation: Farmer
In 1900, Iowa was all about farming. From about the 1850s to 1880s, people had recently moved to the state and either bought land at a very good price ($1.25 an acre) or signed up for 160 acres for free through the Homestead Act. By 1900, Iowa land sold for about $20 per acre. Andrew Orm Larson took this photograph of a hard-working Iowa farmer out plowing in preparation for planting the next crop.
Source-Dependent Questions
- What is the working environment for this farmer?
- What skills does this farmer need in order to be successful at his job?