Hapsburg generally supports three different types of ‘farm’ that produce meat, wool, staple supplies and grapes as cash crops. These are supplemented by ‘small holders’ who produce small amounts of food for sale in the local market.
Farms – most farms tend to be mixed economy places - they have large outlaying crop fields and grow a bit of everything. The main crops are corn, barley, potato and cabbage although they may have areas given over to apple or plum orchards. Smaller fields of beans, peas and onions, often closer to the home buildings, are mainly used to supplement the farm’s kitchens. Most of these farms have a ‘farm yard’ close to the residential building where the animals are kept. Often this will include a flock of chickens, a cow, bullocks for pulling the plough etc. and perhaps a horse or two. Farmers are liable to fetch their harvest into town on the back of a bullock cart, rather than anything else.
Sheep Farms – these are smaller than crop farms, with a central core of buildings surrounded by a few animal pens. For most of the year, shepherds take the flocks up into the hills returning to the farm area for breeding, lambing and shearing cycles. Most sheep farms have gardens close to the house growing standard vegetables (such as the ubiquitous beans, peas and onions) and, perhaps, a few herbs.
Vine Yards – These ‘farms’ primarily grow grapes for sale to the Wine Trade. The larger Vine yards may have a small wine press but most grapes are sold to the Laird’s Wine press where they are turned into wine. Some Vine Yards have a small ‘farm yard’ and vegetable gardens close to the main buildings. Vine yards vary in size more that any other size of farm. They can range from Large Vine yards which cultivate many fields of grapes to the smaller yard that just has one field.
Small Holders cultivate small plots of land, in common fields that are rented from the Laird. Their main crops are beans, peas and onion - much like every one else. However, many will also have a couple of fruit trees or bushes, and will grow small quantities of other vegetables as well. After all, variety is the spice of life :P