The Harvest Season is Upon Us
Given that spring time is upon us here are some interesting tidbits on Anglo Saxon farming.
Farming. In the countryside the vast majority of the people lived by farming. At first most of the farms were owned outright. The ceorls worked cooperatively, sharing the expense of a team of oxen to plow the large common fields in narrow strips that were shared out alternately so that each farmer had an equal share of good and bad land.
Later much of this land was consolidated into the large estates of wealthy nobles. Ceorls might work the land in return for service or produce, or they might work the lord’s land a given number of days per year. As time went on more and more of these large estates were established as integrated commercial enterprises, complete with water mill to grind the grain.
Food. The crops most frequently grown were wheat, oats, rye, and barley (both as a cereal and as the base for beer). Peas, beans, and lentils were also common. Honey was the only sweetener in use, and it was used to make the alcoholic beverage mead. Pigs were a major food animal, as were cattle, goats, and sheep. Horses and oxen were raised for heavy farm labor and transportation, though the stirrup had yet to make an appearance from the far east.
