In past many people made a living off of agriculture in Perkasie. There were many different crops grown, and farming was the basis for Perkasie's early economy. Many farmers were almost self-sufficient, producing what they needed for their families and when necessary, trading for other manufactured items or goods needed by the family.

Spinning yarn (photo by Weisel)		Circa 1939 postcard of Perkasie, PA.

It was not uncommon for residents of Perkasie to keep a garden in the backyard. The resident at right (photo by Weisel) kept a garden and raised pigeons on his Perkasie property. Like many communities, Perkasie residents planted victory gardens during WWII (1942-45) to help with the war effort on the home front.

Back in 1697, farmers raised wheat, rye, barley, buck wheat, Indian corn, peas, beans, hemp, flax, turnips, potatoes, and parsnips. Some farmers gathered as much as 70-80 acres of wheat, besides other grains. A large amount of cattle were also raised. Individual farmers had as much as 40-60 heads of cattle.

Woods were open and often covered with grass. There was a lot of cattle raised, and they roamed at will. Harvesting was often finished before the middle of July. Twenty to thirty bushels of grain per acre were collected. Farmers harvested their crops with harrows (plows with wooden teeth.) There were only 2 mending plows needed for the whole year. This showed the stability of the tools at that time.