Not surprisingly, nine out of ten families were farmers—just like the Plummers and the Jones here on Plummer’s Ridge in Milton, New Hampshire. These farms were usually small (subsistence farms) and were self-sufficient. The farmers grew crops and raised livestock primarily to feed themselves and their families. The surplus was sold at markets like Portsmouth Market!
What was the money used for? You guessed it! It was used to buy things that they could not raise or grow themselves: salt, sugar, coffee, citrus fruits, and so on.
The work was hard for farming families and boys and girls were needed to help out. No time for toys or play! By the age of nine or ten, boys helped out in the fields with their fathers and girls helped their mothers prepare meals, make clothes, spin flax or wool. In our Out of the Egg workshops, kids can get a taste of life on the farm as we make and sample colonial recipes with Betsy Plummer Jones. Recipes provided!
COST: $15.00 for non-members $7.50 for members. Chaperones are free!
TIME: 10:00am to Noon
REGISTER: Limit: 12 children. Please register ahead of time to ensure ample materials for all participants by contacting: 603-652-7840 or nhfarmmuseum.info@gmail.com
This program is part of the New Hampshire Farm Museum’s 250th Celebration Series, paying tribute to our founding fathers and mothers as part of America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
