I can add to that story about Tekamah, ( it is the only town in the USA with that name), so it has to be Nebraska. Big farmer, had that field, and people asked him to leave his shiny new cornpicker parked, and hire some men that desperately needed a few dollars with winter coming on. He did so, had a large picking crew going for awhile. Picking by hand isn't so bad if you're quick on your feet to deal with the mud and the cockleburrs, and fox tail grass that likes to twist around your ankles. Now this was picking standing corn. Then the cows were turned loose in the fields to clean up any leftovers. A generation further back the corn was shocked, 10-15 stalks tied in a bundle and left to stand in the field, with their ears intact. Think fall harvest photos. Then the bundles were brought in, stacked, and the ears were pulled off, and de-shucked, or just shucked. The stalk and shuck went to the pigs, the ears were shelled and fed to the chickens and milk cows, and pigs. Picking ears off of shocked corn while seated isn't so bad, but you need to tie your pant legs shut, or the mice have a tendency to go searching for a new warm winter home.