This antique single-wheel cultivator could be hand pushed to loosen the soil between the rows of crops. During the 19th century this tool made tending the fields more efficient than traditional hand hoeing.
Cultivators like this reflect a period of gradual change in farming practices, when farmers adopted new tools to improve productivity while still relying heavily on human and animal labor. While simple in design, the single-wheel cultivator represents an important step toward more efficient field management before the adoption of animal-powered equipment or mechanized tractors. This tool is so useful that it is still on sale today.
The success of early farms shaped not only the landscape but also daily life. Agricultural production provided food, income and trade that supported households of varying sizes.
Many of the stories and artifacts from Botetourt’s agriculture are on display in the new exhibit “Home Grown-Botetourt’s Agricultural History” at the Botetourt Museum of History & Culture in Fincastle. Today’s farmers are also celebrated in this exhibition.
~ Botetourt County Museum of History & Culture
