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From the kiosk: "Pests made meat preservation difficult. To protect against insects, hams hanging from the ceiling joists were sometimes wrapped in linen bags or covered with ash." Yikes. I'm very, very glad to have our meat vacuum packed and frozen.

The smokehouse is where meat was preserved, with the aid of salt and hot smoke. Animals were most raised in nearby Poplar Forest, then herded to Monticello for slaughter. An avid gardener, Jefferson considered meat a "condiment" to his primary daily dishes: vegetables. The garden might be perfectly situated to capture sun and avoid frost and freezes, but once excavated, the mountainside had to be fertilized annually. Jefferson brought dozens of carts of animal manure up the side of the mountain to help remineralize the rocky, clayey soil, recognizing the cycle between animals, vegetation, and an abundant harvest.