Katherine Davis

This interview was conducted with Katharine E. Davis at Camphill Ghent in Chatham, NY, on July 1 and July 2, 2015. Mrs. Davis lived the majority of her life on the same farm – first owned and managed by her father, and then by her husband. Her husband was hired to manage the farm upon her father’s death and she eventually married him. She is the mother of 11 children. Mrs. Davis discusses the everyday life on the farm, including: her role as mother/daughter; the daily chores; the different foods raised on the farms; the division of labor within her family; the houses on the property; the lives of her children; the production of food for both the market and for the family. She shares the relationships within her family, including interactions among her children and the different generations who lived together. She discusses the differences between her past life on the farm and the more modern practices of today’s life.

There are two audio files associated with this interview because the interview was conducted over two days. The first audio file is truncated because of technical issues.

This interview might be of interest to people who wish to know about: the roles of women in rural areas of the northeast US; the traditions and practices of agriculture in New York state; the shared labor and living space on multi-generational farms; the dynamics of motherhood; the history of German immigrants in New York state.