Lower-Class Industrial Farming
Others that were included in the lower class were rural farmers although they were landowners. Their land debts were high, and incomes were so very low, that their standard of living was in fact similar to lower class industrial workers. Farming was a family project until the 19th century when advances in technology in the forms of many things from the mechanical reaper and combine to more effective fertilizers and pesticides, transformed it into an industrial business. Because farming technology had increased, fewer workers were needed year-round. Yet, more seasonal employees were needed for planting and harvesting, for example fruits and vegetables require hand-picking.