A Midwest summertime tradition is in full swing: corn detasseling. Every summer, seed corn companies hire thousands of seasonal workers to remove the top of the corn plant to produce hybrid varieties. The minimum age in Iowa to do the work is 14. Those as young as 12 can detassel in Illinois and Nebraska. Many crew leaders who started in their teens are now in their 50s and 60s. Workers say even though it's often hot in the cornfield and the work is tedious, they return year after year because they are paid good money by the companies.
Corn Crew
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