Approximately how many houses should a workable farm contain?

• A. About 100
• B. About 1,000
• C. About 500
• D. About 2,000

Answer: (C)

The idea here is to think of housing as a resource that supports the farm’s ability to operate efficiently. A workable farm needs enough on-site housing to accommodate the labor force required for year‑round tasks, supervision, and seasonal peak work, without creating wasteful overhead from too many units.

About 500 housing units represent a balanced scale: large enough to support a substantial, multi-season workforce and a manageable number of supervisors and families, while still keeping maintenance, utilities, and administration realistic. Too few—say around 100—would constrain the farm’s ability to staff all necessary roles and shifts. Too many—around 1,000 or more or even 2,000—would add unnecessary costs and complexity that don’t align with a typical workable farm’s operations. So, the best fit is roughly five hundred.