Unable to afford land, they had to sharecrop for a landlord and keep part of the harvest.

sharecrop 是由 share（分享）和 crop（农作物）组成的复合动词，字面意思是"分享农作物"。在农业中特指"分成制耕作"，即佃农为地主耕种土地，收获后按约定比例分成。