Small-scale Peasant Farming in Transylvania

A Story of Resilient Farmers and a Pair of Fine Horses

by Claus Kropp and Vlad Dumitrescu

South of the impressive Magura-Codlei mountain and in the southeastern part of the Transylvanian basin lies the Romanian commune of Holbav. Although only twenty kilometers from the county capital of Brasov, traditional small-scale farming lifestyles have survived in Holbav to this day, forming living testaments to a resilient and successful circular economy of the local people. Of outstanding importance are the individual farms situated on the surrounding hills of the actual village center which is located on the valley floor. Each of the hills is farmed by one of the families – and has been for several generations. In addition to the dwellings, there are farm buildings on the hill, as well as gardens, fields, meadows and pastures. Larger meadows used for haymaking are usually located a little further away. Until a few years ago, the farmsteads were without running water and electricity. Now, at least, electricity poles right up to the houses are part of the new landscape.

Ioan Botea (aged 71) lives on one of these hills with his wife Anisoara. The couple has six children and it is especially their son Florin (aged 26) who actively helps on the farm. On a rainy morning in early November, the authors were able to observe the Botea family working the soil and sowing wheat with their team of horses. This is unusual in a way as heavy plowing and plowing of grassland is usually done with a team of oxen. Horses, on the other hand, are only used for light to medium work due to the light-duty breast collar. The reason why this was handled differently by Ioan and his son Florin was due to the fact that the field was cultivated with potatoes until fall and thus no more heavy plowing was necessary.

The former potato field is located directly at the farm on an impressive steep slope and has the rough dimensions of 100x70m. It is therefore not surprising that the Botea family plowed horizontal to the slope with their horses. Stela, an experienced sixteen-year-old mare, and Relu, a four-year-old inexperienced gelding, were used for this task. When we asked what breed they were, we only got the answer `medii,´ which meant a medium sized regional breed. For Relu, this effort was his first plowing experience. After Relu’s initial nervousness, it was finally the sovereignty of the mare Stela and the repeated support of Ioan that brought more calmness to the team.

The work on the moldboard plow was divided into two parts: while mostly Florin led the team, a young man, a neighbor from the same hill, walked behind the plow. When Ioan, as already mentioned, was not helping with the team, he would walk thoughtfully over the plowed field with a bucket and pick up any potatoes left. After two and a half hours the work was done and what remained was admiration for the will of the Botea family to farm under these extreme conditions and as well as for the performance of Stela and Relu, for whom the work – be it plowing or also turning uphill – demanded a lot.

The following day, the weather conditions were much better and the sowing commenced. A Romanian feed-wheat variety was sown, which the family needs to feed the farm’s own poultry (chickens, geese, turkeys, guinea fowls). The grain is thus not produced for the open market, but remains in the farm cycle. Ioan’s wife Anisoara broadcast-seeded by hand. The turquoise-blue plastic bucket in which she transported the seeds looked a bit out of place considering the rest of the scenery. While Anisoara was still sowing, Florin began working in the seeds with Stela and a double metal seed harrow.

To avoid slipping down the steep slope, the men attached a rope to the harrow, and Ioan used it to keep the latter on track. Interestingly, the edge of the field next to the path leading down to the farmstead was harrowed differently: in this case Ioan was sitting on the harrows to add extra weight. When we asked why the difference in harrowing between the slope and the farmstead field, they only replied in their warm and simple manner: `Ca-i mai bine asa´ – because it is better this way.

The harrowing was completed in one hour. The Botea family can now look forward to the coming year with confidence. The new potato field will eventually be plowed in the spring with a team of oxen from a nearby neighbor.