Steve Talbot and Danny Malone, two itinerant farmworkers, join the crowd streaming into Cat-Tail, Florida to work the crops. On the way, they encounter Skeeter, a young girl who has become expert in scavenging for her family, as well as Lola Mears and Violet "Murph" Murphy two "juke girls" who entertain at roadhouses known as "juke joints." Steve wants to work the crops, but Danny insists that they try for higher paying jobs at Henry Madden's packing plant. By eliminating his competition, Madden has forced the farmers to accept his low prices for their produce, which so angers Greek American farmer Nick Garcos that he refuses to sell to Madden. When a fight breaks out between Nick and Madden's foreman, Cully, Steve fights on Nick's side. Consequently, Cully refuses to hire either Steve or Danny. Yippee, a worker at the plant, offers to let the two men share his shack in nearby Tent City where Skeeter, Lola and Murph live also. That evening, while Steve and Danny relax at "Muckeye" John's juke joint, Nick, having tried unsuccessfully to sell his crops outside of town, agrees to accept Madden's offer, but Madden, who had surreptitiously prevented the sale, offers Nick an even lower price than before. Furious, Nick again attacks Madden, and this time, Danny, hoping to get in with Madden, joins on Madden's side. Steve comes to Nick's aid, which impresses Lola, who has taken a job at Muckeye's. After the fight, Lola and Steve walk back to Tent City together and discover that they are both from the Midwest where Steve's farmer father was put out of work by the drought. Eager to leave the farm where she grew up, Lola has never wanted to put down roots anywhere else. Steve and Lola check on Nick's progress and learn that he plans to take his crop of tomatoes to Atlanta, hoping to sell them before they rot. Realizing that Nick's truck will never make it that far, Steve and Lola plot to steal one of Madden's trucks, but the theft is discovered, and Nick's tomatoes are destroyed by Madden's men, including Danny. At Lola's suggestion, a devastated Steve helps Nick plant his new crop. Although Danny warns Steve that Madden plans to interfere with the farmers, Nick, Steve and Lola manage to convince the pickers to work for the promise of payment when the crops are sold. Afterward, an angry Madden forces Muckeye to fire Lola, and Steve, who has fallen in love with her, takes her to Nick's to stay. Madden does everything he can to prevent Nick from selling his crops in Atlanta, but the farmers succeed despite his efforts. The footloose Lola runs away in Atlanta and a jubilant Nick and a disheartened Steve return to Florida. That night a drunken Nick tries to patch things up with Madden and when Madden rebuffs his overtures Nick attacks him. In self defense, Madden hits Nick on the head and kills him. He then hides the body and frames Steve and Lola for the murder. When Skeeter tells Danny that Cully is trying to foment a lynch mob, he and Yippee force Madden to confess, and the mob turns on him. Danny leaves town for new territory and Steve and Lola plan to work Nick's farm.
