The History of Corn Harvesting in American Agriculture: From Hand-Husked Fields to Mechanization

Dan Agri-Business, American Agriculture History Minute, Corn, This Land of Ours

Hand-Harvesting Corn – A Labor-Intensive Tradition Corn has long been a cornerstone of American agriculture, but harvesting it in the early 20th century was a labor-intensive challenge. Before tractors and combines became common, farmers relied on hand labor. Worker’s hand-husked each ear of corn and loaded them into high-sided wagons, meticulously picking the fields clean. This demanding work required skill, …