By late 1942 there was an acute shortage of labor on America's farms. Between 1940 and 1945, roughly six million farmers and farm workers left the land for more lucrative jobs in defense plants or for the military. Farm women stepped in to keep their farms running while their husbands, fathers, and brothers were away. Although they quickly proved they could handle farm responsibilities, many additional hands were required to tend and harvest crops.

Realizing the burgeoning labor difficulties, the USDA scrambled to locate new sources of farm labor. Approximately 230,000 foreign workers were brought into the United States and 265,000 prisoners of war were used. Eight thousand servicemen received furloughs to plant and harvest, and roughly 26,000 detained Americans of Japanese descent were granted furloughs from their relocation camps for agricultural work. The largest number of workers came from two groups, the Victory Farm Volunteers (VFV), aimed at teenagers, and women...