This article explores the contribution of female production, labour and domestic domain services to the management of seasonal stress, crisis and calamity, under the headings: switching tasks and responsibilities ascribed by gender; diversifying household income sources; changing the intensity and mix of multiple occupations; household gardening and common property resources; food processing, preservation and preparation; social organisation; gift‐giving. It offers an analysis of adversity and calamity which pinpoints the resilience of networks of female‐headed households and raises new questions concerning risk preference, probability assessment and the valuation of female labour time.