State Historical Society of Iowa

Workers Harvesting Cucumbers in Muscatine Iowa, July 1959

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Woman with a huge smile seen in the foreground gazing at freshly harvested cucumbers. Man next to her seen pouring a bucket of cucumbers into large crate. Six workers seen harvesting in the background.
Courtesy of the State Historical Society of Iowa, July 1959

Description

#5 Occupation: Farm Laborer, Unpaid Family Worker
Many jobs on the farm, such as harvesting a large field of cucumbers for the Heinz Company near Muscatine, Iowa, required several people to do. In the 1950s, many families worked together in order to have enough help to do all of the jobs on a farm. Many farm wives were a significant part of the farming operation, and they shared in the profits that the farm made.

Source-Dependent Questions

  • What is the working environment for a farm laborer?
  • What skills does this farm laborer need in order to be successful at her job?
  • What equipment is this farm laborer using to do her job?