By Jamie Martin
According to information shared by Audry Thompson, staff attorney at the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, federal labor laws establish specific age requirements and safety regulations for minors working in agriculture.
For many rural families, learning about agriculture starts at a young age. Children often help with chores, livestock care, and other daily activities on farms. While these experiences can build responsibility and agricultural skills, federal labor laws establish guidelines to protect young workers.
“When we look at the history of child labor in the United States, agricultural work is really the first kind of work that minors were doing prior to the Industrial Revolution,” she said. “There’s a long history of minors working on farms and often, those farms were where they lived.”
Agriculture has a long tradition of family involvement. Long before modern labor laws existed, children regularly participated in farm work alongside parents and relatives. Today's regulations seek to balance that tradition with modern safety standards.
The Fair Labor Standards Act serves as the primary federal law governing child labor in the United States. The legislation includes special provisions for agriculture while also creating safeguards designed to reduce workplace risks for minors.
A major exception applies to family-operated farms. Federal law allows children of any age to work on farms owned or operated by their parents. This exemption recognizes the unique role of family labor in agricultural operations.
The situation changes when young people work outside their family's farm business. Federal labor protections come into effect when minors are employed by non-parental farms or participate in certain agricultural processing activities. Employers must then follow age-based work restrictions established by law.
Federal regulations categorize some agricultural tasks as hazardous occupations. Younger workers are generally prohibited from performing these duties because of increased safety risks. Examples include working in manure pits, handling certain regulated chemicals, operating specified farm machinery, and performing other potentially dangerous activities.
Children younger than 12 years old may perform limited non-hazardous work on small farms outside school hours with parental consent. These opportunities are carefully restricted to maintaining safety standards.
Young workers aged 12 and 13 may perform non-hazardous agricultural work on farms of any size when parental consent is provided. They may also work where a parent is employed, provided the tasks remain non-hazardous.
For workers aged 14 and 15, federal regulations permit a wider range of agricultural jobs. These individuals may perform most farm duties if the work is not classified as hazardous and takes place outside school hours.
At age 16, federal restrictions on hazardous farm work largely end. Older teens are generally allowed to participate in all types of agricultural employment under federal law.
Despite these federal standards, farm employers must also review state labor regulations. Some states enforce stricter requirements than federal law and may establish higher minimum age thresholds or additional employment conditions.
Compliance with labor regulations is important for every agricultural business. Understanding age classifications, permitted duties, and prohibited activities help prevent violations and create safer workplaces for young employees.
Training and supervision are important. Providing young workers with appropriate instruction, safety equipment, and guidance reduces risk and encourages responsible participation in agriculture.
Farm work offers valuable opportunities to develop practical skills, work ethics, and agricultural knowledge. When employers and families understand and follow child labor regulations, young people can safely gain experience while contributing to agricultural operations.
By staying informed about labor laws and safety requirements, farm families and employers can support the next generation of agricultural professionals while maintaining compliance and protecting young workers.
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Categories: National