Section 1: Farming

Remarkably Self-Sufficient

According to the Abbreviated Hand-Book of Virginia published by the State Board of Agriculture in 1897, Stafford County’s topography is “rolling, and the soil with proper cultivation is capable of high improvement. Good crops of all kinds of grain are produced, but small fruits, vegetables, and poultry are extensively raised for the Washington market. There are numerous evaporative establishments in the county. Land is cheap and farms fairly improved can be bought from $5 to $15 per acre.”

By the late 19th century, nearly 80% of working individuals in Stafford County listed “farmer” or “farm labor” as their occupation. New machines for use in farming were invented in this period, but horses, oxen, and people still provided most of the power that operated the machinery. Farmers produced cash crops for sale to northern markets, but were still remarkably self-sufficient, often making or trading for nearly everything required by their own families.

Stafford's post-Civil war farmers were sustained by growing cucumbers for pickles and by making moonshine. The industry commenced here during the late 19th century and quickly grew to become a major source of income for local residents. In August of 1896 a newspaper reported, “The pickle delivery at Brooke yesterday reached half a million” in a single day. (Free Lance, Aug. 1, 1896). By the early 20th century, Stafford was Virginia's largest supplier of pickling cucumbers. One of the county’s poor houses grew pickling cucumbers for several years and actually turned a profit. Corn and other grains grown on Stafford fields found their way into copper stills tucked away in the woods. The popular product was sold locally and shipped to northern Virginia and Washington. In an economically depressed area such as Stafford moonshining provided much needed cash.