Answer:
1. As the war progressed, farmers were being asked to produce much more food with fewer and fewer workers. More and more young men were being drafted or enlisted in the military. The farm labor shortage quickly became severe, especially for fruit and vegetable producers who relied on migratory hand labor.
2. In the course of the war, 15 million men and women were called up into the military. At the time, the entire workforce consisted of only 73 million people. Over 20 percent of the pre-war workforce were now in the military, not working at their civilian jobs. The nation needed new ways to get the work done.
3. In the factories that meant opportunities for women and for minority populations who had been out of the workforce before. Defense plants were recruiting and offering high salaries, and many of the new workers came from the farms.
4.Farmers and and organizations from across the country complained about labor shortages, and Congress responded by enacting draft deferments for farmers and farm workers who were "necessary to and regularly engaged in an agricultural occupation." But the exodus of workers had already begun.
5. Kelly Holthus (right) was one of the kids who got "put on a tractor when I was about 11 years old" to help meet the labor shortage. He was very proud of being able to contribute to the war effort.
Explanation:
