welcome to the homestead farm at Chipoa Nature Center in Midland Michigan This farm is set up like a farm that would have been found in Midland County in the late 1800s We're going to take a tour to learn more about what life would have been like for a family who lived on a farm similar to this one Farm families built many different buildings on their farms Each building had a specific job The cabin was the family's home It was made of wood and the beams were often made of the trees that were cut down to make room for fields This cabin has one large room with a bed a dresser a table a desk and a stove This would be where the family would read books knit or sew clothes tell stories and spend time together It was also the parents bedroom Often the children would share a room upstairs in the cabin A stove in the middle of the room kept the cabin warm in the wintertime and glass windows that could open would cool it off in the summer There was no electricity so the farm family used oil lamps to light the room when it was dark This cabin has a separate room for the kitchen They would cook and bake their food on the stove in the kitchen and eat at the table here Water for cooking and cleaning would get pumped from the well on the farm and carried to the kitchen in buckets There is no bathroom in the cabin Instead the family used an outhouse located behind the cabin and pitcher and bowl to wash their hands and faces Farm families in the 1870s spent a lot of time outside of their cabin working in the barn taking care of animals tending the garden or working in the fields The barn was also made entirely of wood and usually held the food for the animals tools for buildings and repairing things And animals lived in the barn during cold or stormy weather Farmers made trips to town to purchase tools shingles fabric and other things However they often repaired tools and built things themselves when they were able to A farm family would have had a garden where they grew food for their own family They may have grown things like squash potatoes tomatoes carrots beans peas onions and more They grew enough of these foods to last them through the winter The family would have stored a lot of the food they grew in the root cellar This underground room kept potatoes carrots and onions cool and provided shelf space to store cans of beans peas applesauce jam and other foods In the fields farmers grew corn wheat and other crops The family that lived on this land grew fields and fields of strawberries These crops would have been harvested and taken to town to sell to families who did not live on a farm and could not grow their own food The family would have taken these crops to town in a horsedrawn wagon In addition to growing vegetables fruits and grains most farm families also kept animals Sheep provided wool milk and meat Chickens laid eggs and provided meat while cattle provided a lot of meat and the cows provided milk Pigs were good at cleaning up leftover food and provided meat like ham and bacon Farm families might have used all of this food for themselves or they may have sold some of it to families who lived in town Farm families also kept horses or oxen to pull their wagons plows and sleds Farmers build many sheds and shelters to keep their farm animals safe and comfortable Farm families in the late 1800s were able to build their own homes barns and sheds with the help of friends and family members They were also able to grow or raise most of their own food They were an important part of the local community and bought and sold many items in nearby towns Thanks for watching For more videos and lessons be sure to click the subscribe button and be sure to check out the description for links to our website activity guides resources and more