People first domesticated wild animals and plants more than 10,000 years ago. The first peoples of North America quickly learned to farm using hand- and animal-power. As technology developed, farming machines were invented. These helped develop farming in many regions of North America previously too difficult to cultivate. From 1840 to 1880, Wisconsin USA became the breadbasket of America, and crop- and livestock-farming developed quickly. The village of Monticello is famous for its dairy farming and cheese. The community is still largely based on this. It has a population of about 1,200 people and is the focus of this book about life in a farming community.