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The Teens Who Feed America

Hundreds of thousands of kids put in long hours on farms around the country. Reyes is one of them. Here’s what he gives up to put food on your table.

February 2021

by Karen Coates, Valeria Fernández, and Tod Olson

Before You Read: Click here for an interactive pre-reading quiz.

Reyes, 18

Reyes [RAY-ez] is a quiet, hard-working 18-year-old. He went to high school in Texas. But he rarely got through a full school year there. His sophomore year ended like many others.

In May, he packed a bag with jeans, T-shirts, and rubber boots. He got in a truck with family members and hit the road. Three days later, he arrived in a small town called Hart, Michigan.

Hart is just 5 miles from a huge lake with beaches, boating, and fishing. But Reyes wasn’t there for vacation. He was there to work—hard.

All summer, he picked asparagus on a farm. The long days left him covered in dirt and sweat. His fingers were raw with blisters.

By the end of the summer, Reyes’s whole body ached. But he went back to Texas with a few thousand dollars. It was enough to help his family buy clothes and pay some bills for the coming year.

“I’ve suffered a lot,” says Reyes. “But you know what: I need to help my family. If I don’t do it, who’s going to?”

Reyes is 18. He went to high school in Texas. But he rarely finished a school year there. Like other years, his sophomore year ended early.

In May, he packed a bag. He got in a truck with family members. Three days later, he was in a town called Hart, Michigan.

Hart is near a lake. There are beaches, boating, and fishing. But Reyes wasn’t there for fun. He was there to work.

All summer, he worked on a farm. He picked asparagus. He worked long days. He was covered in dirt and sweat. His fingers had blisters.

At the end of the summer, the work ended. His whole body hurt. But he had earned a few thousand dollars. He could help his family back in Texas. They could buy clothes. They could pay some bills.

“I’ve suffered a lot,” says Reyes. “But you know what: I need to help my family. If I don’t do it, who’s going to?”

Reyes is a quiet, hard-working 18-year-old. He went to high school in Texas, but he rarely completed a school year there—and his sophomore year was no different.

In May, he packed a bag with jeans, T-shirts, and rubber boots. He and some family members got into a truck and hit the road, arriving in a small town called Hart, Michigan, three days later.

Just 5 miles from Hart is a huge lake with beaches, boating, and fishing. But Reyes wasn’t there for a vacation. He was there to work—hard.

All summer, he worked on a farm, picking asparagus. The long days left him covered in dirt and sweat, his fingers raw with blisters.

By the end of the summer, Reyes’s entire body ached. But he returned to Texas with a few thousand dollars—enough to help his family buy clothes and pay some bills for the coming year.

“I’ve suffered a lot,” explains Reyes. “But you know what: I need to help my family. If I don’t do it, who’s going to?”

PAUSE AND THINK: Why did Reyes travel to Hart, Michigan?

A Hard Day’s Work

Around the country, more than 500,000 children and teens work on farms. They pick the fruit we snack on at lunch. They harvest the vegetables we eat with dinner.

Like Reyes, many of these young workers are migrants. That means they move from one place to another to work.

Most migrant teens go to school where they work. But many fall behind. Some eventually drop out. That makes it harder for them to find good jobs when they’re older.

In the meantime, the work is hard on the body and the mind. Kids spend long hours in the fields without breaks. Reyes sometimes got up at 5 a.m. and didn’t get to bed until midnight. “You feel exhausted,” he says.

Farmwork is also dangerous. In the fields, teens use sharp tools that can cut off fingers. They dodge tractors with giant wheels.

Every day, 33 young Americans are injured working on farms. More children are killed doing farmwork than in all other industries combined.

More than 500,000 kids and teens work on farms in the United States. They pick fruit and vegetables. We snack on the fruit. We eat the vegetables with dinner.

Like Reyes, many of these young workers are migrants. That means they move from one place to another to work.

Most migrant teens go to school. But many fall behind. Some eventually drop out. Without a high school degree, they have a hard time finding good jobs when they are older.

Farmwork is hard on the body and the mind. Kids work long hours in the fields. They have no breaks. Reyes sometimes got up at 5 a.m. He didn’t go to bed until midnight. “You feel exhausted,” he says.

Farmwork is dangerous too. The teens use sharp tools. They can cut off their fingers. They can be run over by a tractor.

Every day, 33 young Americans are injured on farms. More kids are killed doing farmwork than in all other industries combined.

Across the United States, more than 500,000 children and teenagers work on farms. They pick the fruit we snack on at lunch, and they harvest the vegetables we eat with dinner.

Like Reyes, many of these young workers are migrants, moving from one place to another to work.

Most migrant teenagers go to school where they work, but many fall behind. Some eventually drop out, which makes it more difficult for them to find good jobs when they’re older.

In the meantime, the work is tough on the body and the mind. Kids spend long hours in the fields without breaks. Reyes sometimes got up at 5 a.m. and didn’t get to bed until midnight. “You feel exhausted,” he says.

In addition, farmwork is dangerous. In the fields, teens use sharp tools that can slice off fingers, and they dodge tractors with enormous wheels.

Every day, 33 young Americans are injured while laboring on farms. More children are killed doing farmwork than in all other industries combined.

PAUSE AND THINK: What makes farmwork so hard for kids like Reyes?

It’s the Law

You may be wondering: If farmwork is so harmful to kids, why aren’t there laws against it?

The United States does have laws that restrict child labor. But those laws are much stronger for nonfarm work. You have to be at least 14 to work at a fast-food restaurant. You can’t work in a factory until you’re 16. And many dangerous jobs are off-limits to anyone under 18.

But children as young as 12 can work on farms. They can put in 10- or 12-hour days—as long as they’re not working during school hours. And kids of any age can work on their own parents’ farms.

Some lawmakers have recently tried to change the rules. But for now, kids much younger than Reyes are still working the fields.

In the United States, laws do restrict child labor. You have to be at least 14 to work at a fast-food restaurant. You have to be at least 16 to work in a factory. And you have to be at least 18 to work many dangerous jobs.

The laws for farmwork are not as strong. Kids as young as 12 can work on farms. They can put in 10- or 12-hour days. They just can’t work during school hours. And kids of any age can work on their own parents’ farms.

Some lawmakers are trying to change the rules. But for now, kids are still working the fields.

You might wonder: If farmwork is so dangerous for kids, why aren’t there laws against it?

The United States does have laws that restrict child labor—but those laws are much stronger for nonfarm work. You have to be at least 14 to work at a fast-food restaurant, you can’t work in a factory until you’re 16, and many dangerous jobs are off-limits to anyone under 18.

But farms can employ children as young as 12. And as long as they’re not working during school hours, they can put in 10- or 12-hour days. Furthermore, kids of any age can work on their own parents’ farms.

Recently, some lawmakers have been working to change the rules. But for now, kids are still working the fields—and many of those kids are much younger than Reyes.

PAUSE AND THINK: How old do you have to be to work on a farm?

Moving On

Like many farmworkers, Reyes takes pride in the work he’s done. He just wants others to respect it too.

Sometimes, in Michigan, he would go out to eat after work. Still dirty from the fields, he could feel people staring at him. “I get it, we’re dirty,” he says. “But try not to judge the people that are doing your food.”

Still, Reyes is ready to move on. He graduated from high school last summer. He wants to go to college. He’d like to work doing welding or fixing engines. “I want a better life,” he says.

Reyes is proud of the work he has done. He wants other people to respect farmwork too.

In Michigan, he would go out to eat after work. He was dirty from being in the fields. People stared at him. “I get it, we’re dirty,” he says. “But try not to judge the people that are doing your food.”

Reyes graduated from high school last summer. Now, he wants to go to college. He’d like to do welding or fix engines. “I want a better life,” he says. •

Like many farmworkers, Reyes takes pride in his work—and he wants others to respect it too.

Sometimes, in Michigan, he would eat at a restaurant after work. Still dirty from the fields, he could sense that people were staring at him. “I get it, we’re dirty,” he says. “But try not to judge the people that are doing your food.”

Still, Reyes is ready to move on. He graduated from high school last summer and wants to go to college. He’s interested in doing welding or fixing engines. “I want a better life,” he says. •

PAUSE AND THINK: What does Reyes want to do in the future?

This article is adapted from “The Young Hands That Feed Us,” ©2019 Karen Coates and Valeria Fernández as first published in Pacific Standard, and “The Migrant Student Club,” aired on Latino USA. Reporting for this story was supported in part by funding from the International Women’s Media Foundation and the Education Writers Association.