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Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 5:07 AM

Where are the detasselers?

Where are the detasselers?
On a hazy, humid July 30 morning, Hagan detasselers stopped to visit and headed down the field for their next row assignments. Rain overnight in the Minden area and earlier irrigation made rain coats or plastic garbage bags important gear for walking through the cornfield. Photo by Lori Potter/Flatwater Free Press

Number of kids signing up to work in fields is dwindling

On a warm July morning, three busloads of young people ranging in age from 14 to 25 roll through flashing yellow traffic lights before dawn in Kearney.

It’s necessary to get ahead of the blistering summer sun. For the next four to eight hours, these workers will carry out a summer job long considered a rite of passage for young Nebraskans: Corn detasseling.

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