self-sufficient farming in which farmers grow only enough food to feed the family, pay taxes or feudal dues
Enclosure Movement
the process of taking over & consolidating land (fences) formerly shared by peasant farmers
Fallow
land that is plowed and left unseeded for a season or more; uncultivated
Charles Townshend
used crop rotation and planted new crops, like turnips, to replenish the worn out soil
Jethro Tull
invented the seed drill to help farmers plant seeds in rows rather than scattering them wastefully over the land
Robert Bakewell
experimented with scientific breeding to produce animals that weighed more at an earlier age
Urbanization
movement of people from rural areas to cities
What was farming like in the Middle Ages?
most lived in villages as subsistence farmers on common lands leaving fields fallow; little experimentation/innovation
What were the reasons for the changes in farming?
more food was needed due to population growth & the French Blockade cutting off trade resulting in fewer foods/supplies causing prices to go up
What were the effects of the Agrarian Revolution?
efficient methods led to higher yields, better diets, healthier people with longer lifespans, easier farming methods, people replaced by machines & forced urbanization
