How did New England farm families respond to competition from the West?

A) They gave up attempting to improve their livestock and turned to raising poultry.
B) They opened more land to the production of wheat and corn.
C) They began to raise livestock and to specialize in vegetable and fruit production.
D) They returned to subsistence farming.

New England farm families responded to competition from the West by adapting their farming practices to specialize in vegetable and fruit production, as well as raising livestock. This allowed them to compete with the West's emphasis on grain production, which took advantage of larger tracts of land. They also continued to innovate and improve their farming methods, including the use of fertilizer and improved breeds of livestock.