Farming in the Central Uplands

This photo illustrates several distinctive things about farming in Europe? Identify five things.

Answers:
Farm houses are concentrated in villages, rather than scattered throughout the countryside as in North America.
Barns, with livestock and manure piles, are often found next to farm houses in the villages. Historically, the more manure farmers had, the more livestock they had, and the wealthier they were. Farming has changed considerably: for example,  60,000 Danish farmers produced 13 million pigs in 1980; by 2003 only 13,000 farmers produced nearly 26 million pigs. Danish pig slurry would fill 90,000 average-sized swimming pools a year!
The gate in the driveway indicates the importance of dividing private space from public space in very high population density societies.
In the upper window of the house, bedding (usually filled with feathers or, more expensive, down feathers) is airing out in the sunshine.
Houses mostly have clay tiles (expensive but long-lasting material) on the roof, historically made of locally available clays.

Go on an optional side trip to Czech Republic.

Created by Ingolf Vogeler on 25 August 2002; last revised on 07 March 2005.