What did the serfs plant?

What did the serfs plant?

Wheat or rye was planted in one field, and oats, barley, peas, lentils or broad beans were planted in the second field. Each year the crops were rotated to leave one field fallow. This system also ensured that the same crop was not grown in the same field two years running.

What crops were grown in medieval Europe?

Q: The most important European crops grown during the medieval period were barley, oats, rye, and wheat. Various legumes were grown along with apples, cherries, and some hearty vegetables such as cabbage and onions.

What crops were grown in the Manors fields and what was made from them?

The main crops grown were barley, wheat, oats and flax and the lord’s mill was used to ground the wheat and barley. A serf also had to work two days per week for the lord of the manor and had to give 10% of his crops to the Church. This was called a tithe.

How big was a medieval field?

Open-field system Usually these strips of land, normally about 1 acre (0.4 hectare) in size, were laid out in two or three large fields. Each farmer in the village worked a number of these acres; the units forming his holding were scattered among those of other men.

What did serf farmers do for a living?

Some serf farmers eventually earned rights in exchange for back-breaking work seven days a week and on-command service to their lord. Lands were farmed using a three field agricultural system.

How often did serfs work in the Middle Ages?

These farmers would work in the lands at least three times a week and sometimes longer during the plantation and harvest seasons. The serf was bound to work in a single manor and his status as a serf was passed on to his children, who would then continue to work in that same estate, regardless of whether the land changed ownership.

What did farmers do with their crops in the Middle Ages?

Most farmers had a spring and a fall crop. The spring crop often produced barley and beans while the fall crop produced wheat and rye. The wheat and rye were used for bread or sold to make money. The oats were usually used to feed livestock. The barley was often used was used for beer.

Why was the church important to the serfs?

The church played an important role in their lives as the serfs looked up to the Church for additional assistance in difficult times. The serfs generously offered their labor and produce to their local church and were particularly instrumental in maintain the overall fabric of the church.