Right, most certainly weren't. I should have been clearer when I talked about European settlers moving into the coldest parts of the Americas, IIRC there wasn't widespread farming there.
I'm not sure about the general answer but in the US it was finally eliminated in public works projects during the Great Depression.
There aren't all that many people of European decent that are living in the coldest parts of the Americas. At least that's what I noticed when visiting the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Unless you're talking about somewhere farther south? I know the Huron who were based around present day Toronto were almost strictly farmers.
I'm not sure about the general answer but in the US it was finally eliminated in public works projects during the Great Depression.