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TOMATO FIELD, Stockton

To avoid possible damage to the tomatoes, picking cannot begin until the fruit is dry. Since tomatoes are paid as piece rate, before beginning work, workers may need to wait several (unpaid) hours after arriving at the field depending on weather conditions. Most pickers get jobs on a first-come-first-hired basis, developing into skilled teams on which pickers who prove amongst the least productive, drop out. During the height of the season, California tomato fields produce 2 billion pounds of tomatoes per week.