Farmhouses
Rich farmers and poor labourers
The Oldambt region is dotted with farms with castle-like front parts of the houses. These are the dwellings of the wealthy gentleman farmers of over a century ago. The cultivation of grain brought enormous wealth. Although the labourers had nothing to show for, the farmers enjoyed it thoroughly.
Wealth for the boss
The money earned from the grain gave the region a giant boost, and the wealth turned the heads of many farmers. They had themselves referred to as ‘gentleman farmers’, doing things they considered to be part of their newly gained status, such as playing tennis. Some of them did not even bother personally handing the wages to their workers, but simply scattered it on the yard, forcing the workers to bow for their boss when picking up the money. The workers would spend their winters at home, unemployed. In the meantime, the gentleman farmers used their profits to build giant palaces with large barns, which you can still see throughout the Oldambt.
