farmworkers left the country, and Palestinian# workers were barred from entering Israel.

As journalist Jon Frankel discovered,# many Israelis were called to reserve duty,## leaving the farming industry facing financial# losses and in desperate need of workers.

JON FRANKEL: The people of Israel say that# they are in a fight for their lives and## their land.

While at war with Hamas, there# is another front right under th a battle to save their crops and# a large part of their food supply.

Some of those killed and kidnapped on# October 7 were, like these field workers,## from Thailand.

They come in# five-year cycles to work on## farms across Israel.

Fearing# for their safety, many left.

LIAT MAIMON MAHLUF, Israeli Farm Owner: We# used to have 20 workers, Thai, and that stayed## here usually for five years, so they really know# everything about the land, tractors, everything.## And then, one day, we were left with two workers# that decided to stay.

All the rest when back home.

JON FRANKEL: Liat Maimon Mahluf helps# run her family farm, 40 minutes north## of Gaza and within rocket range, alongside her# husband, Gidon (ph).

The Thai worker to rely on dominated the agriculture landscape.# Without them, the industry screeched to a halt.

Can you quantify much money you may have lost?

LIAT MAIMON MAHLUF: I don't know exactly# how much.

I still don't know how much,## but it's a lot.

It's a lot, because it# takes three months to grow caulif and all that you put into these three months, from# paying the workers, from water, from planting,## from everything, it's gone, because you# cannot pick it up.

And it just sits there.

JON FRANKEL: On another farm# nearby, it's no different.

Morel Gaby (ph) says he lost nearly $275,000 in# those first couple of weeks, nature and growth.

The vegetables don't see the# pain, feel the wounds, or hear the sounds of war.

SHARON GALON BEAHR, Israeli Farm# Volunteer: Can you hear the bombs?

JON FRANKEL: Though muffled, Bu t, despite that, Sharon Galon Beahr, a# fashion designer, and her colleagues took## a day off to work the fields.

Desperate# to harvest the crops, farmers couldn't be## picky.

They needed many hands, much less strong# backs, and put the word out on social media.

What made you come out here# today and volunteer on the farm?

SHARON GALON BEAHR: When I'm touching, like,## the ground, it feels like it was# so JON FRANKEL: The volunteers who are working this# farm today have come from near and far.

Some## have come day after day.

Others are newcomers.# They have all served the required time in the## Israeli military.

And like the reservists from# around the country who have been called to duty,## these people also feel they have been called# to serve their country in a different way.

SHARON GALON BEAHR: Everybody's doing something# to feel more significant in this fight.

JON FRANKEL: Which is also why I# came to Israel for a week.

I wanted## to lend my hands and make the land# grow, today, planting cauliflower.

In a national effort to get# the farms back up and running,## the military also is now# deploying soldiers to farmland.

YOSHIYAHU ZEMORA, Soldier, Israeli# Defense Forces: This is one of the## prou JON FRANKEL: For real?

YOSHIYAHU ZEMORA: Ye you're a technician.

I rig antennas.

But# this farming now is needed more than ever.

JON FRANKEL: Like many, Avishay Pony hadn't had## time off since the war began.

This# is how he spent his AVISHAY PONY, Israeli Farmer: It's something I# can do.

I don't know how to go to the high tech,## for example, to help there.

I don't know to go# to another place to do But here, it's something.

It's simple, simple# work that I can do.

And I'm happy to do it.

And I hope I can work.

But# it's go around, because,## if I not work, we have no food in the supermarket.

JON FRANKEL: To the north, in the# Jordan Valley on Moshav Yardena,## the owners of this farm also lost most# of their farmworkers.

And so I found## myself picking tomatoes, trying to# keep up with the next generation.

RONI LEV, Israeli Farm Volunteer: This place,## this land is JON FRANKEL: Roni Lev and her friends# have been volunteering four days a week.

RONI LEV: I did other jobs as# well.

Like I did dates.

Like,## we picked dates and bananas.

But# I really like tomatoes.

So... (LAUGHTER) RONI LEV: No, I don't think so.

LIAL MIARA, Israeli Farm Volunteer: JON FRANKEL: Lial Miara is also part of a gap year program before these# students join the military.

LIAL MIARA: It's important, it's fun.# You can see we're picking to we're laughing, we're dancing.

GAL BERKOVICH, Israeli Farm Volunteer: We# work with music.

We dance.

We laugh together.

JON FRANKEL: Gal Berkovich is 19 years old.

GAL BERKOVICH: If we won't dance, then who# th at people lost their lives dancing at the# party and, like, here we are dancing for them.## It's kind of part of the deal.

I'm really# all for the morale.

If we lose our morale,## then we lose our spirit.

And so I# believe I'm doing something good.

JON FRANKEL: Back on the cauliflower# farms, the size and number of fields## that need planting is daunting for# such a small and inexperienced crew.

But with each row, there is progress.# You can see what is and what it will be.

Is this what a soldier does?

YAIR LEHMANN, Soldier, Israeli# Defense Fo JON FRANKEL: Yair Lehmann# works How does it feel to be volunteering here when you## know that your brothers and sisters# in YAIR LEHMANN: Actually, my best# friends are in the commando and## in the tank units in (INAUDIBLE).

It's a# little bit dis but once I see that we planted everything,# I can see that I am helping the future.

While they are helping the present,## we are taking care of the future of JON FRANKEL: And what is growing# is being harvested on time.

Helping## cut losses and getting the food to market,## the volunteers are making a difference.

And# the For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Jon Frankel from# Moshav Hatsav in the southern part of Israel.