My mother's mother and father were farmers in PA back in the early 1910s-1960s. They raised food crops, plus had an orchard of apple trees and a number of dairy cows and chickens that provided most everything but flour, sugar and salt for the family of 12.
Mom and her 9 siblings all helped as they were able to, in the fields, milking the cows, feeding the chickens, canning the food, drying the herbs, making cheese, jam and ice cream.
Mom told of the time when she was little, there was an early cold snap and most of the local farmers' crops were wiped out, but not Mom's family's. Grandpa was a self-described minister and felt that God had spared their crops for that reason.
As Christmas time was approaching and it was The Depression era, Grandma & Grandpa (with all the kids pitching in) collected up all the harvestable foods, jams & jellies, milk & eggs they could spare and made up little care packages that they then delivered to all their neighbors who would be without food for the holidays, due to the freeze. It was one of her favorite memories. There were no subsidies back then.
My mother's mother and father were farmers in PA back in the early 1910s-1960s. They raised food crops, plus had an orchard of apple trees and a number of dairy cows and chickens that provided most everything but flour, sugar and salt for the family of 12.
Mom and her 9 siblings all helped as they were able to, in the fields, milking the cows, feeding the chickens, canning the food, drying the herbs, making cheese, jam and ice cream.
Mom told of the time when she was little, there was an early cold snap and most of the local farmers' crops were wiped out, but not Mom's family's. Grandpa was a self-described minister and felt that God had spared their crops for that reason.
As Christmas time was approaching and it was The Depression era, Grandma & Grandpa (with all the kids pitching in) collected up all the harvestable foods, jams & jellies, milk & eggs they could spare and made up little care packages that they then delivered to all their neighbors who would be without food for the holidays, due to the freeze. It was one of her favorite memories. There were no subsidies back then.