Crop Threshing Chaos: Farm Labor Shortages Hit Montana

Sept. 11, 1922, Helena, Montana – In a bizarre twist of fate, the usually reliable farm help supply in Montana has taken a drastic turn for the worse. According to the state department of agriculture’s weekly summary, crop conditions are in disarray due to a severe labor shortage. The report, issued for the week ending September 2, revealed that most counties are struggling to keep up with the demand for reliable farmhands. In Carbon County, the situation is particularly dire, with threshing outfits running shorthanded. ‘Everybody’s harvesting, but we’re still short on hands,’ a local farmer was quoted as saying. The wheat yields in Carbon County are excellent, with some reports of over 60 bushels per acre, but the lack of labor is putting a damper on the progress.