Manual harvesting required a considerable workforce. In small farms, the entire family participated in the activity, and mutual help from the community was often relied upon. When necessary, seasonal reapers and harvesters were employed who came from the mountainous areas to participate in the grain harvest in the plains. They could be hired for the entire season or by the day, and were paid with a portion of the harvest or in money.
The introduction of mechanical harvesting gradually replaced manual labor. This change led to the disappearance of seasonal migration and with it many of the peasant traditions linked to this activity were lost.