It is called "The "Breadbasket Colonies" 1) "Middle Colonies: The British took much of the land from the Dutch around 1664, and the majority of the conquered land became the Province of New York. The Duke of York and the King of England would later grant others ownership of the land which would become the Province of New Jersey and the Province of Pennsylvania.The Delaware Colony later separated from Pennsylvania. The Middle Colonies had rich soil, allowing the area to become a major exporter of wheat and other grains. The lumber and shipbuildingindustries enjoyed success in the Middle Colonies, and Pennsylvania saw moderate success in the textile and pig ironindustry. The Middle Colonies were the most ethnically diverse British colonies in North America, with settlers coming from all parts of Europe. Civil unrest in Europe and other colonies saw an influx of immigrants to the Middle Colonies in the Eighteenth Century. With the new arrivals came various religions which were protected in the Middle Colonies by written freedom of religionlaws. This tolerance was unusual and distinct from other British colonies." "The partly unglaciated Middle Colonies enjoyed fertile soil vastly different from the nearby New England Colonies, which contained more rocky soil. Because of the large grain exports resulting from this soil, the colonies came to be known as the Bread Colonies. In addition, colonies like Pennsylvania became leading exporters of goods like wheat, corn, rye, hemp, and flax. Broad navigable rivers of relaxed current like the Susquehanna River, the Delaware River, and the Hudson River attracted diverse business. Fur trappers moved along these rivers, and the lack of waterfalls encouraged milling and water wheel power." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Colonies 2) "The Middle Colonies: New York, Pensylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey" "The "Breadbasket Colonies": The Middle colonies were not known for their farming as well as they were known for their mills and bread. On average in the Middle colonies, people ate about 1 pound of bread per day. The mills used to produce the bread was powered by rivers to crush the grains. This was very helpful if you wanted to live in the Middle colonies. The main foods you got out of these grains were pancakes, waffles, and pretzels." Source and further information: http://techline0.tripod.com/id2.html 3) "Farmers and other people lived in very small houses farmers usually about ten to twenty miles out of town. The farms were very big; they stretched from the suburbs all the way to the seacoast. Farmers gathered: wheat, barley, rye, and other grains and fruits. Manufacturing was a very big industry; they made-clocks, watches, guns, locks, cloth, and hats. They owned large plantations small lands and farms. Most of them lived in small villages or on grand plantations. they had many cash crops for trade and sell. Cash crop- grown to be sold. The idle colonists grew so much bread it became known as the “bread basket colony.” " Source and further information: http://www.east-buc.k12.ia.us/00_01/CA/13c8.htm 4) "The Breadbasket or the Granary of a country is a region which, because of richness of soil and/or advantageous climate, produces an agricultural surplus which is often considered vital for the country as a whole. Rice Bowl is a similar term used in South East Asia. Such regions may be the subject of fierce military disputes." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breadbasket