With the exception of staples like salt and coffee, the farm kitchen was almost completely self-sufficient, relying on farm-raised herbs and vegetables, fresh eggs, milk, pork, poultry, beef, and grains for home cooking. Before the mid-twentieth century, traditional roles for men and women were very specific, with kitchen work generally left to women, while a long day of farming called for hearty meals. Around 4 a.m., the man fed the mule and milked the cow while the woman lit the wood stove to make hot coals for the morning meal, which might include eggs, homemade biscuits, gravy, sausage or bacon, and stone-ground grits. Cooking from scratch on the farm meant using what was available, and with no refrigeration and limited preservation, menus were seasonal, with families eating fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden in season and drying or canning extra produce for later. The cast-iron woodstove provided even, efficient heat, with a fire lit before dawn for breakfast and wood added throughout the day to keep hot coals for the burners and oven. Winter meals consisted of root vegetables, home-canned and dried foods, and a ready supply of farm-raised meat, while potatoe banks were built above ground to keep root crops dry and prevent freezing, and cabbage, collards, mustard greens, and other winter garden crops added to the menu. Dairy products were kept cool in the spring house, and fresh fruits and vegetables were canned, pickled, or preserved to last for months.