Migration from the Eifel to Wisconsin meant not only a geographical change but also a profound occupational transformation. While viticulture and small-scale farming on poor soils dominated in the Eifel, Wisconsin opened new opportunities: large-scale grain farms on fertile black earth, dairy farming with large herds, and in the cities, industrial jobs emerged as well as breweries – often founded by German immigrants. Continuity lay in craftsmanship: many coopers, blacksmiths, and wheelwrights found work in the new world as well, initially on farms, later in growing cities.