Economics 102

Economics Theory on Carsis 102

 Making money from farming

According to the council on fair trade; “A bag or basket of any local crop should weigh 20 lbs and cost 1 coin.”  The amount of crops produced in one acre is the critical factor. This of course depends on the type of crop, the soil and the weather.

The following chart is based on good agricultural practices and should be seen as a high end output. Also most crops require about one quarter of produce be used as seeds for next year, the exceptions to the rule are marked with *.

Type	lbs / acre	Value	Type	lbs / acre	Value
Wheat	6,000	300	Potatoes	20,000	1000
Barley	3,000	150	Carrots	19,000	950
Oats	2,000	100	Onions	18,000	900
Rye	8,000	400	Cabbages	13,000	650
Corn	6,000	300	Turnips	12,000	600
Apples*	25,000	1250	Cucumbers	8,000	400
Olives*	4,000	200	Grapes*	14,000	700
Dates*	9,000	450

Example

The minor 100 acre "family farm" estate typically has 20a grain, 10a root crop, 10a fallow. If the farmer planted 10a wheat and 10a rye he would have a total grain crop of 140,000 lbs. If he planted only potatoes he would have 200,000 lbs as a root crop. From this he must deduct one quarter as seed stock. He will also keep some food to survive, about half the total. Thus he has 35,000 lbs of grain and 50,000 lbs of potatoes for sale at market. Grain is sold in 20 lb sacks, so he can sell 1,750 sacks. Potatoes are sold in 20 lb baskets, so he has 2,500 baskets to be sold. Thus our independent farmer has an income of 4,250 coins. That sum however it is a once per year event. Taken as a monthly amount ( divided by 8 ) we find the farmer has an averaged income of about 530 coins. 

That is the abstract theory behind farming as money making activity, using some of the highest yield crops. The reality is that farmers usually mix their crops to ensure variety on their own table and to hedge against the danger of crop disease. Also with variable soil and weather conditions, they will often receive less than the amounts predicted here. And the above applies to an estate-farm, not to every peasant farmer on an estate. In their case the amount of money they make depends very much on the vassalage agreement they have with their Lord. Certainly it will be less than the above example.  

Harvest market selling in bulk.

A bushel is an 80 lb measure sold for 3 coins. The merchant supplies his own barrel and the farmer fills it from his wagon. This is a common harvest time tradition to speed up the sale of products, especially root crops. The farmer is selling at less than normal price, however doing so ensures that he sells all he has to offer and is not left with unwanted surplus.