The Farmer In Medieval Society

In medieval society, the farmer was one who worked the land, raised crops and livestock, and a common role among serfs. A serf would most likely assume the role of a farmer, who was bound to a manor and had to provide plenty of agricultural labor so he could supply agricultural resources and services for the vassal. Over 80% of the medieval population were serfs who lived in the countryside and most spent their lives raising crops and livestock as farmers (History Alive!, Macdonald 18). They were legally bound to a manor and lived outside of it. (Bishop 230, 232) Farmers owed their loyalty to a vassal and had to provide labor and a portion of their produce and livestock. In return, they would get protection and their own strip of land to cultivate (Nardo 25, Bishop

In the spring and summer, farmers dealt with weeds, sheared sheep, cut and stored hay, and worked on the lord’s land and gardens. They also harvested crops in late summer. In autumn, their job was to reap, thresh, and store grain. They also plowed the fields and planted seeds for the next harvest. Farmers also had to kill livestock to supply food such as in the winter with pigs (Nardo 25, Bishop 234, Bishop 112, Macdonald 18, 19). In the work of farmers, most of the supplies they produced was given to the vassal and monarch while they only got a small amount leftover (Nardo 25). To do their work, farmers had specific ways and tools to help them do their job. Farmers had an assortment of tools and equipment to use to help them farm. When it is time to plant seeds for the next harvest, farmers use a plow to make the soil ready to be sowed. Wheeled plows are used on sandy soil and moulboard plows that are pulled by oxen or horses are used to plow soil with lots of clay in it. Wooden rakes are then used after the soil is plowed to harrow or drag soil over the seeds to cover them (Hunt and Lapworth