Life as a farmer in the past

The sun hasn't even risen when the farmer is already in the barn to milk the cows. He hurries through this task, because he also has work to do in the fields. There is ploughing to be done - with the plough. There are no tractors. Only oxen or other pack animals. Hard work, from morning till night. Before technology, before jobs in cities and before shopping malls. In the past, agriculture was one of the most developed activities in the Karst region.

They went to Trieste to sell hay, wheat, milk and other agricultural produce.

Farmers kept chickens, pigs, cows, oxen and, more rarely, horses at home. All work was done by hand and with the help of animals. They ploughed with draft animals: oxen, cows and, more rarely, horses.

The crops grown included wheat, rye, maize, potatoes, beans, turnips, beetroot, cabbage, kohlrabi, carrots and others.

Each farm also had fruit trees, mostly apples. In addition to apples, plums, cherries and pears were common. The good fruit that was not sold was stored for later consumption, while the rest was dried into clusters, pressed into juice or made into schnapps.

In winter, when there were fewer farm chores to do, they made their own farming and other tools and utensils. This was also when housewives were more likely to spin, knit and sew. Some people broke ice in the nearby ponds, which was then sold in Trieste in the summer. Forest owners were also involved in timber sales.

Children living on small farms often had to leave home early to go wrok. Most often they worked as servants and maids on nearby, larger farms. Boys were most often herding cattle, while girls helped with household chores.