Agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley

Agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley. The History of Farming on the Kernstown Battlefield Property. , Farming was, and continues to be, a major business in the Shenandoah Valley. This particular farm had two periods of significant productivity: from the mid-1700s until the Civil War and then again from about 1890-1990., In the earlier period, you would have found a farm that included various crops (wheat, Indian corn, oats, hay), large amounts of livestock (horses, dairy cattle, swine, various fowl), a large barn, various outbuildings, a large woodlot, and one of the first portable steam powered sawmills in the Valley; the latter used to support the owner's wheelwright business. And for a short period after the Civil War there was even a distillery on the property., In the latter era, you would have found a major increase in mechanization, thus reducing need for non-family member labor., You would have also noticed an increase in the number of buildings including a large Amish-built barn (still standing) and various out buildings (many still standing) used to house crops, livestock and equipment. Finally, like many farms in this region at that time, apple orchards were a major crop on this farm., This property, currently at over 300 acres, dates back to the early 18th century and one time or another included woodlots, grain fields, animal pastures and significant stands of apple orchards. Even today, a portion of this property is still actively farmed, mostly as cattle pasture and hay fields., Timeline of Ownership , Hoge (1735-1756) Emigrated from Scotland, one of the earliest European settlers in the Valley., Pritchard (1756-1879) Four generations of successful farmers and businessmen; utilized enslaved and indentured labor; economically damaged by the Civil War., Burton (1879-1890) James Burton was a well-known armorer at Harpers Ferry and in England prior to the Civil War, later appointed Superintendant of Confederate armories., Grim (1890-1989) Three generations of successful farmers. The second generation patriarch was killed by lightning in 1931 while loading a wagon similar to the one in the picture. Most of the buildings found on this property today are associated with the Grims., Kernstown Battlefield Association (1999-present) Continues limited farming via lease., (Caption):, Typical Valley Farming Scene Circa 1930 , Picture from the Virginia Museum of History and Culture