Life on the Farm @museum.de

20_01_Life on the Farm

F: Today, powerful tractors, mighty combines and fully automated harvesters make their way across the landscape. But in earlier times, all the work had to be done manually. Ploughing and harrowing. Rolling, scything, mowing and threshing – all of it backbreaking work. It took time and usually required good teamwork. Have a good look around, and see if you can identify all the important tools a farmer needed.

M: Work in the fields began in spring with the ploughing. Then, the harrow was used to prepare the soil for sowing.

F: If March be lazy and wet. It’s every farmer’s regret

20_02_Life on the Farm

M: In summer, the sheep were shorn. The meadows were rich and lush, the cows gave plenty of milk – and almost every day, the farmers' wives and maids were busy churning butter and making cheese. Hay-making followed in late summer.

F: Rain in May. Brings wealth and hay.

M: The men cut the grass with scythes. Afterwards, it fell to the women and children to rake the grass and turn it – repeatedly over several days – until the grass was dry and could be stored. Then the men loaded the hay onto a cart and drove it to the farm. In winter, the hay served as fodder for the livestock. But there was something else that was also harvested in summer:

F: If the sun in July shines bright. The wheat will be milled just right.

M: Finally, in autumn, the potatoes were harvested – and it was time to sow the winter wheat.

F: If Assumption Day bring rain or shine. The autumn to come will be wet or fine.

M: Winter, the season of short days, was slaughtering time. Meat was brined or dry salted and hung in the smokehouse. Fences and gates were repaired or replaced. And indoors, it was the time for spinning flax.

F: New Year's night, cloudy or clear, Points the way to a good new year.