Andrea Krist from the Minnesota Historical Society shares what it was like growing food for winter in 1850s Minnesota:
The gardens are too weedy, as multiple commenters pick up on in the comments section. That is one of the perils of a volunteer organization as compared to an true family garden. If you are relying on your garden to get you through the winter – especially a terribly cold Minnesota winter! – you don’t let the weeds overrun your beds.
Other than that, though, it is an excellent look at the past, from clothing to gardening methods.
2 responses to “Growing Vegetables in the 1800s”
Gosh they were just so rugged and the time was so different. As a frost-free person, I’m dumbfounded with how much they had to grow and how little time they had to do it. Thank you for sharing this!
Now that you have better internet, you might try to find time to watch the old BBC series “Tales From The Green Valley” series, its on YouTube. 1 year 1600’s-era English farm, I gleaned a lot of good gardening and other great info. SUper to watch with kids.