It was however only these developments in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s that cemented saison's reputation as a 'farmhouse ale': in older sources it is never indicated as such and though there has been a limited tradition in Belgium of brewing on farms or brewing for farm workers, it seems to have been conflated with saison only from the 1980s onwards.
The association of saison with farmhouses emerged in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, while earlier sources did not mention it as such.  While there has been a limited tradition in Belgium of brewing on farms or for farm workers, this seems to have been conflated with saison from the 1980s onwards.