The Agricultural Year in Northwestern Lýthia

Farming within Northwestern Lýthia is a very organized affair. Throughout the year a farmer has specific tasks to accomplish in order to maintain his holding, in the preparation of fields for sowing, maintaining fields in the growing season, or harvesting crops. A farmer's hands are rarely idle and usually over tasked. The following is a list of tasks a farmer would have over the course of the agricultural year, starting in the spring. The list here is based on the Tuzyn Calendar and for a temperate region similar to that of Hârn. Other regions that are colder or hotter would have similar calendars, but arranged in a different manner to their specific conditions.

Spring

Nuzyeal (April)

First plowing of the fallow strips
(This involves the strips that have not been planted.)

Sowing spring crops
(These are crops such as: barley and oats, beans, peas, and other vegetables.)

Fief maintenance
(The focus is on cleaning out ditches to ensure good drainage of the land.)

Peonu (May)

Continue sowing spring crops
(These are crops such as: barley and oats, beans, peas, and other vegetables.)

Continue plowing of the fallow strips
(This involves the strips that have not been planted.)

Sowing of flax
(A manor must have the appropriate lands for this.)

Planting and care of Gardens begin
(This was work done in addition to their work in the fields.)

The milking season for cows commences

Breeding of cows begins
(This began about mid-month after their calves have been weaned and milking had begun.)

Fief maintenance continues as needed
(This entails mending and/or replacing fences, out buildings, ditches, and many other tasks around the manor for the lord as part of their obligatory services. In addition, individuals needed to do the same tasks around their own holdings.)

Kelen (June)

Hay making
(All available labor within a manor/villa is usually called out for this activity as part of their obligatory services.)

The milking season for sheep and goats commences

Sheep shearing
(This can be communal or on an individual basis depending on local custom, when not doing it for the lord as part of their obligatory services.)

Breeding of cows continues
(This continues until about mid-month to ensure calving finishes by early spring.)

Second plowing of the fallow strips
(This involves the strips that have not been planted.)

Weeding and hoeing the fields begin late in the month
(This is an individual task for each farmer, when not doing it for the lord as part of their obligatory services. Out of all the tasks on this list, this is probably one of the most tedious and back breaking tasks next to plowing. I live on a 26 acre patch of land that has about 20 acres of it farmed, usually in soy beans or corn. The invasive weeds here are predominantly something we call pig weed. They tend to be resistant to weed killers, unless you hit them two or three times in the first few months of growth. However, once past a certain age the only way to get rid of them is by hand and it can take hours just to clear an acre if they are really thick, just as weeds would be in a Hârnic field. By the end of a hot day your are weak from the work and sick from the heat, imagine doing this for a week or more just to clear 15 acres. The bad thing is, if the weeds come to seed as often happens and you chop them down and don't burn them the seeds will just take root the next year and your back at it again.)

Fief maintenance
(This entails mending and/or replacing fences, out buildings, ditches, and many other tasks around the manor for the lord as part of their obligatory services. In addition, individuals needed to do the same tasks around their own holdings.)

Summer

Nolus (July)

Weeding and hoeing the fields continues

Sheep shearing continues
(This can be communal or on an individual basis depending on local custom, when not doing it for the lord as part of their obligatory services.)

Harvest and preparation of flax
(This entailed pulling the plant out by the roots and drying it in the sun, then retting it, the process of extracting the linen fibers, and finally spinning it into thread.)

Fief maintenance
(This entails mending and/or replacing fences, out buildings, ditches, and many other tasks around the manor for the lord as part of their obligatory services. In addition, individuals needed to do the same tasks around their own holdings.)

Larane (August)

Continue with the preparation of flax
(Retting it, the process of extracting the linen fibers, and finally spinning it into thread.)

Harvest of wheat and rye was conducted first
(All available labor within a manor/villa is usually called out for this activity as part of their obligatory services. This was usually done towards the end of the month if weather conditions were favorable.)

Harvest of barley and oats was conducted next
(All available labor within a manor/villa is usually called out for this activity as part of their obligatory services. This was done after the wheat and rye were harvested and if weather conditions were favorable.)

Agrazhar (September)

Harvest of all grains completed
(All available labor within a manor/villa is usually called out for this activity as part of their obligatory services. If weather did not allow all of the grain to be harvested it would be continued in the early part of the month in the same order as above.)

Threshing grains starts
(All available labor within a manor/villa is usually called out for this activity as part of their obligatory services on the lord's lands and tend to their own as needed.)

Grazing the stubble
(All inhabitants entitled to graze their livestock on the commons may do so now.)

Breeding of goats begins
(This began at the end of the month.)

Vegetables are harvested and dried for storage
(All available labor within a manor/villa is usually called out for this activity as part of their obligatory services on the lord's lands and tend to their own as needed.)

Harvest the orchards
(All available labor within a manor/villa is usually called out for this activity as part of their obligatory services on the lord's lands and tend to their own as needed.)

Autumn

Azura (October)

Threshing grains continues
(All available labor within a manor/villa is usually called out for this activity as part of their obligatory services on the lord's lands and tend to their own as needed.)

Third plowing of the fallow strips
(This involves the strips that have not been planted and is the final one conducted.)

Sowing the winter crops
(These are crops such as: wheat and rye.)

Pasturing the swine in the woods
(A task for the swineherd who collects all of the community's pigs and herds them to the woods.)

Straw making
(Using the stalks left over from the threshed grains. It is needed as bedding for man and beast and a supplement for fodder if there is not enough to keep the livestock fed throughout the winter.)

Breeding of sheep begins
(This began at the start of the month.)

Breeding of goats continues
(Ends by the end of the month to ensure a late winter birthing period.)

Halane (November)

Sowing the winter crops continues
(These are crops such as: wheat and rye.)

Breeding of sheep continues
(Ends by the end of the first ten days to ensure a late winter birthing period.)

Begin culling livestock for the winter
(Usually, only pigs and beasts at the end of their working lives were slaughtered; those that were not candidates for breeding or working stock were sold to local merchants or at local markets.)

Preservation of slaughtered meat through salting and smoking
(This could be a community affair or as an individual.)

Collection of firewood
(Usually, only dead wood was allowed to be collected. In areas with peat bogs, peat would be collected.)

Collection of materials for thatch
(Usually consisting of reeds and sedge when available; but grain straw used if not.)

Savor (December)

Preservation of slaughtered meat through salting and smoking continued
(This could be a community affair or as an individual.)

Pruning fruit trees and grape vines
(The lord required his tenants to do it for him as part of their obligatory services.)

Assarting the woods
(this means cleaning out new brush and trees to keep the woods at current size, or by clearing out additional trees and brush to open up new arable land.)

Fief maintenance
(This entails mending and/or replacing fences, out buildings, ditches, and many other tasks around the manor for the lord as part of their obligatory services. In addition, individuals needed to do the same tasks around their own holdings.)

Winter

Ilvin (January)

Assarting the woods continued
(this means cleaning out new brush and trees to keep the woods at current size, or by clearing out additional trees and brush to open up new arable land.)

Fief maintenance
(This entails mending and/or replacing fences, out buildings, ditches, and many other tasks around the manor for the lord as part of their obligatory services. In addition, individuals needed to do the same tasks around their own holdings.)

Navek (February)

Birthing season for kids and lambs
(This the care of the ewes and nanny goats giving birth and the young afterwards. It usually began late in the month.)

Calving season begins
(This the care of the cows giving birth and the calves afterwards. It usually began late in the month.)

Fief maintenance
(This entails mending and/or replacing fences, out buildings, ditches, and many other tasks around the manor for the lord as part of their obligatory services. In addition, individuals needed to do the same tasks around their own holdings.)

Morgat (March)

Carting and spreading manure and marl
(these were the basic forms of fertilization for fields. In most cases the peasant had little at hand to use and used it on his garden; whereas, the lord required his tenants to do it for him as part of their obligatory services.)

Conducting the spring plowing
(This involves the strips that will be planted in this and the next month.)

Birthing season for kids and lambs continues
(This the care of the ewes and nanny goats giving birth and the young afterwards.)

Calving season continues
(This the care of the cows giving birth and the calves afterwards.)

Fief maintenance
(This entails mending and/or replacing fences, out buildings, ditches, and many other tasks around the manor for the lord as part of their obligatory services. In addition, individuals needed to do the same tasks around their own holdings.)