06.02.2016

In former times farmers lead a very humble life and the substantial aim was to earn the fundamental subsistence. Food, clothing, tools, most of these had to be produced on the farm itself until the 20th century.

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The farmers themselves and the maids, farmhands and other servants started to work at 5 o’clock in the morning and the strenuous work ended at the earliest at 7 o’clock in the evening.
To “get up with the hens” was necessary to fulfil the demands because work has to be finished before sunset.
The house and the yard had to be kept clean, the livestock had to be cared of and the tools had to be kept in good conditions. Particularly the winter season posed a challenge to the farmers.
For example, threshing, a very dusty and unpleasant job, had to be done in order to put the clean cereal into boxes, providing the domestic home and the animals all over the year. Cropped straw was used as litter in the stables. Forest operations and woodwork was done mainly in the wintertime. The trees were cut down with log frames or axes, transported with ox- or horse-drawn vehicles. Kindling was transported with sledges or frame rucksacks, a traditional backpack.
Big and good pieces of wood were used for constructions, smaller pieces for fences and matchwood was used for fire. Firewood even nowadays is piled up right in the forest to get dry and give a good burn.
Because of the wide-ranging challenge of the daily life, the farmer had not only to know all about lifestock farming and rural economy, but had also to be a good salesman and judge of human nature and provide a solid technical and economical understanding. They passed their wide range of skills from generation to generation.