THE FARMYARD AND THE FAMILY

The farmyard was composed of a series of buildings providing shelter both for humans (the house) and animals (the stables-hayloft and the oven-henhouse-pigpen).

The large sharecropping families were the base work unit of the farms. The head of the household and his wife had the right to occupy the farmhouse’s largest bedroom.

Key for rural life was the raising of various animals. Cattle worked the land and provided meat and milk. Pigs and chickens provided meat and eggs for the family and for sale at market. Horses pulled vehicles to transport both people and light freight.