Food and Agriculture

The Duchy of Falmar has good, fertile soils that can grow many different plants.  However the staple crops grown by most farmers include corn, barley, potato and cabbage, although other vegetables, such as beans, peas and onions are grown in common fields by small holders.  Grapes are cultivated in vineyards on many farms, while apples and plums are cultivated in smaller quantities.

The vegetables all have varieties that produce at different times of the year -  so a standard selection of potato and beans are readily available all year round.   Corn and Barley are used primarily to make bread and beer -  while the grapes go to make wine.  Apples are used to make cider and for winter storage, while plums are eaten fresh during the summer with excess fruit preserved as jam to make a winter treat.  Most farms keep a few chickens and the odd cow or two, but sheep raised for wool are the primary farmed creature of the region.

The 'standard' local meal is mutton cooked with potatoes and barley, generally as a stew.  Don't forget  that bread, cabbage, beans, peas, onions, eggs and milk  are also readily  available.

Beverages include 'Falmar Wine', 'Thunderbird Wine', Grappa, Small Ale, Good Ale and Cider. Falmar Wine is a medium flavoured rose wine, while Grappa is a fiery spirit distilled from  left over grape skins and stems.  In  Hapsburg, they make  'Thunderbird Wine'  where grappa is added to the local  wine, which is then fermented again to give a stronger richer taste.  Small Ale is just a lowish alcohol beer, while Good Ale is a stronger beer and  Cider is an alcoholic drink (made from apples) of about the same strength as Good Ale.