Where do you live?
I too grew up in a rural farming area. As far as I know, people still don't use sunscreen there. OTOH, farm workers are not wearing shorts and short sleeves in the field.
Oklahoma. And yes, short sleeves or sleeveless shirts are often worn--younger guys sometimes wear cutoffs and go shirtless, but most folks don't wear shorts to work the fields. You mostly want to wear jeans and good heavy shoes or boots, as you would around any kind of machinery. It gets hot here--long sleeves aren't that comfortable. You see a lot of the "farmers tans"--from short sleeved shirts.