Harvest Festival 2011
Mexican Nationals thinning and hoeing beets, 1943.
Home-made irrigation pump used by Earl Wilson and Marcus Sorenson.
Close-up view of homemade beet topping machine which topped beets on three Richland County farms in 1942.
Beet harvesting machine invented by Hans Iverson, Sidney. With acute labor shortages, all possible methods were used to get the beets out, 1942
R. Erps, Sidney farmer, got out his own beets and two of his neighbors' beets with this beet topping outfit, 1942.
This puller brought the beets to the surface after being topped by the homemade beet topper, 1942.
Extreme times call for extreme measures, and sometimes these extraordinary efforts lead to innovation and invention. Growers today may complain about the difficulty of finding harvest help, but today’s situation doesn’t compare with the acute labor shortages growers faced during World War II, particularly during the 1942 harvest year. With all able bodied men off to war, growers worked with communities and state agencies to find solutions to labor problems. They also turned their creativity into manufacturing improved implements and equipment.
Labor reached an acute stage in 1942. That year, farmers planted 25% fewer beet acres because they figured they could never get the crop harvested before freeze-up. Shortages encouraged enterprising farmers to experiment with homemade equipment that included the manufacturing of beet toppers, beet harvesting machines, and beet pullers. Farmers also turned to Extension agents, who scoured their information sources to obtain plans for building labor saving devices. Many farmers received these plans and built machinery that included Jay-hawk stackers for putting up hay.
Through Extension efforts, Montana State University students also came to the Sidney area in 1942 to help with harvest. These students stayed with local families during the harvest season.
Community businesses and schools pitched in to help with harvest. The Sidney, Fairview and Savage communities closed their businesses during the peak 8-10 day harvest period so employees could help with harvest. The Sidney, Fairview and Savage schools also closed for two weeks during the 1942 beet harvest to help get the crop in. All students, boys and girls of all ages, worked in the fields, along with other volunteers who did their best to help harvest the crop.
The situation improved somewhat by 1943 when 320 Mexican nationals came to work the beet fields, along with 800 Texas Mexicans as well. The sugar company in Sidney recruited these laborers, and the company also brought in these workers at company expense.
The Mexican labor also worked peas, harvested potatoes, hay and grain, and assisted in all other farming chores.
It took cooperation, innovation and sheer will, but agricultural people prevailed and harvested their crops in spite of seemingly insurmountable labor problems.
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