1. Agricultural Revolution
Food for All!
Agricultural Revolution

2. Feudal Farming Open field system Each village had a large open field
Land was divided up at beginning of the year randomly to families
Strips were farmed by families on a 3 field crop rotation schedule
Families would “subsistence” farm

3. Subsistence
To grow or create only enough to survive

5. Why Common Fields?
The teams of oxen that were used to pull the heavy plow to break up the dense clay of northern Europe were expensive and shared by the community

6. 3 Field Crop Rotation 2 fields grew grain 1 field left fallow
Or peas or beans
1 field left fallow
This was to allow the field to “rest” and regain some nutrients needed to support crops

7. The Beginning: Enclosure
Farms began to be fenced off by their owners
Wool for export starts to become very profitable

8. Enclosure: 15th-18th Century
Farms began to be fenced off by their owners
Wool for export starts to become very profitable
Extra land started to be bought by the wealthy

9. The Beginning: Farms began to be fenced off by their owners
Wool for export starts to become very profitable
Extra land started to be bought by the wealthy
Pushed the peasants off the land and increased the poor

10. Why was the Export of Wool Profitable?
Increased technology increases trade with other countries…
Colonies…
Imperialism ramping up
The new world as a trade partner

11. 4 Field Crop Rotation System:
Developed in France
Legumes (beans) and clover
Fixed the nitrogen deficiency in the soil
Increased fertility
Clover was an excellent “fodder crop”
Increased edible grain by feeding clover to the livestock
Livestock increase

12. Mechanization Seed drill “tube” to distribute seeds evenly
Efficient
Even distribution
High yield
Previously seeds scattered by hand
Very inefficient
Uneven distribution
Low yield

13. Results:
1720
19 bushels per acre
1840
30 bushels per acre

14. Critical Question:
What do you think the effect increased food production would have on Europe? What events would the agricultural revolution lead to?