Agriculture comprised the tillage of fields, the cultivation of orchards and gardens, and the husbandry of livestock, forming the foundation of rural life in the western lands of Arda.
Climate and Lands[]
The Westlands of Middle-Earth[]
The western lands ranged from cool, damp uplands to mild, well-drained lowlands. Rainfall was ample in Eriador and in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, while the river vales of Rhovanion and the sheltered slopes of Anduin's lower reaches enjoyed warmer growing seasons. Loamy soils lay beneath gentle hills; heavier clays held moisture in sheltered basins; shallow gravels marked old riverbeds.
Eriador[]
Fields in Eriador were divided by hedgerows and apportioned to individual families. Barley, wheat, rye, and oats rotated with legume pulses and occasional fallows of clover or vetch. Cottage gardens beside farm-halls yielded cabbages, carrots, beans, and herbs. Root-cellars and stone barns safeguarded tater crops and threshed grains through winter snows.
Rhovanion and Rohan[]
Vast grasslands suited livestock more than tillage. South-eastern Rhovanion held rye and oats on river-plain soils, while the Pelennor and Wold of Rohan carried oats as principal fodder and rye for bread. Buckwheat and turnips grew in small crofts. Transhumant flocks of sheep and herds of cattle followed seasonal drives to high pastures before returning to lowland winter folds.
Gondor[]
Gondor's orchards and terraces thrived on well-drained alluvium along the Anduin. Olive groves, vineyards, and citrus plots were irrigated by hillside channels. Wheat and barley grew on open fields, while kitchen gardens inside city walls produced lettuces, radishes, melons, and herbs. Granaries and cool‐stone storehouses kept surplus grain and pressed oil for months.
Hillfolk and Border Clans[]
In the Uvanwaith and Dunland, stone-strewn hills limited ploughing. Communities kept mixed flocks of sheep and goats, supplemented by small barley patches. Woodland clearings yielded berries, pulse broths, and firewood. Tithes and labour dues bound these upland holdings to nearby folk-lords.
Detailed Articles[]
Dúnedain[]
Eriadorians[]
Easterlings[]
Northmen[]
- Early Northman Economy under Vidugavia
- Economy of the Bardings
- Economy of the Beornings
- Economy of Dorwinion
- Economy of the Éothéod
- Economy of the Lake-men
- Rohirric Economy
- Economy of the Woodmen
Dwarves[]
- Dwarven Economy
Hobbits[]
- Hobbit Economy
Elves[]
Editorial Note: This entry contains speculative or fan-based material — such as fanon, fanfiction, or theory constructs — that may not be directly supported by canonical texts. Interpretations offered here are part of the NNCA’s speculative corpus and should not be mistaken for primary Tolkien sources.