Economics of the Estate of Marilenev
by Sean MeaneyOne of the earliest estates established in Traladara, It occupies some of the better agricultural lands. Marilenev is self-sufficient in the production of grains, vegetables, fodders, meats, fowl, fish, salt, wine, honey & wax, timber & wood, and even a range of cheeses.
Although it has all ways been the power in the region, there has been a distinct shift since the arrival of Duke Stephan Karameikos some thirty years previous where Marilenev could field a small army of Knights, and following the crushing military defeat at the hands of the Usurper Duke, the long and difficult economic rise of the Estate.
Compared to the rest of Karameikos, the peasant farmers of Marilenev are well off, with reasonable stability. No longer do armies of Knights ride through farms, torching vital crops, seize grain harvests, or march their children off to die in castle sieges. Now the small lanes that crisscross the estate and divide farmland are being paved in stone and even being repaired and maintained, as thousands of wagons continuously move vital produce to market.
Area: 940 square miles
Population (as of AC1000): 11,000 (8,500 in farm)
Marilenev Village: 900
The Logging Camps
With 358,400 acres of light forest, there is a managed harvest plan to ensure a permanent supply of firewood and timber for the estate.
There are 200 families employed across this region, each family harvesting 17 acres of wood per year.
17 acres x 20,000lb = 340,000lb
340,000lb x 20 families x 10 hexes = 71,680,000lb
The Fishing Communities
Occupying some 40 miles of coastline are 100 families employed in fishing and salt production. 8 months a year, six days a week they fish from their small fishing boats.
Salt Production for fish preservation provides for the
manufacture of 4,800 firkin of preserved fish only
leaving 96 firkin of Salt. This is representative of
12 Cran of fish per year per fishing family
(1 Cran = 37.5 gallons of fish or 750 fish).
Firkin of Preserved fish requires 1/4 Cran fish & 50lb salt.
12 Cran x 4 firkin x 100 families = 4,800 firkin of
preserved fish.
36 gallons of seawater x 6 days x 4 weeks = 216lb Salt
8 months x 216lb x 100 families = 1,296 firkin of Salt
4,896 firkin required.
The Cattle herds
Tended by 200 families over 35,640 acres of reasonably good grazing land, each family runs a herd of 74 cattle
200 families, 178 acres, 74 cattle
35,640 / 1.5 x 0.63=14,968 head
Every year each family sends 20 head to the sale yards.
20 x 200= 4,000 head
The Vineyards
The Vineyards along this part of the river are the work of thirty years, and the families who own these vineyards have reaped considerable wealth from the distinct change in Estate Policy that they represent: A change from warfare to commerce and production.
400 vineyards x 70 acres @ 63% yield +20% (Bees)
2 x 200 families x 71 acres = 28,000 acres
28,000 acres x 2.5 ton x 0.83 = 58,100 ton
58,100 ton x 2,240lb
= 130,144,000lb grapes produced annually.
130,144,000lb/90lb=1,446,044 (x 5 gallons)
Wine produced is 7,230,222 gallons per year.
(7,230,222 gallons / 9 gallons)
= 803,358 firkin of wine per year.
Honey & Wax
400 vineyards x 7 skep hives
400 x 7 = 2,800 hives
28,000 lb honey
2,800 lb wax
1.4129 x 10 lb = 1 gallon of honey
28,000lb / 14.129=1981.7 gallon of honey
1981.7 gallons/9 gallons=220 firkin of honey
803,577 firkin required.
The Dairy District
Dairy grazing on some 14,000 acres are 200 dairy farms
200x70=14,000 acres
1&1/2 acres per cow.
14,000/1.5=9,333 cows x 0.63=5,879 cows
29 cows per family
Milking season 8 months per year
29 x 140 gallons = 4,060 gallons
10.31 x 4,060=41,858lb milk
41,858 x (5/43.25)= 4,839lb cheese
4,839lb x 200 farms = 967,800lb cheese/year
The West Country
These are perhaps the oldest and earliest parts of the estate of Marilenev.
Consisting of 168 square miles of agricultural land, it includes in its heavily populated region the capital city (the once guild town) Specularum and the village and castle Marilenev. Of the 105,600 acres only 42,600 acres is held by farming families. This leaves over 98 square miles of countryside. Marilenev Village is a veritable storehouse of goods.
With Six hundred families farming in the West
71 acre farms: 3 fields of 23 acres @63% efficiency
23 acres of barley x 57 bushes x 63%=825 bushels barley.
825 x 50lb= 41,250lb grain
825 x 213lb chaff = 175,725lb chaff
23 acres of turnip x 25 ton x 63%=362.25 ton
9 sheep overgrazing 23 acres with thirty ton of chaff as fodder support.
9 sheep x 2.5lb wool = 22.5lb wool
& Dairy 180 days @ 1/4 gallon
8 ewes x 45 gallons=360 gallons
360 x 10.31 x (5/ 43.25) = 429lb cheese
808,473 firkin are manufactured across the estate each year using 7,276,257lb wood.
Total Annual Production Yields
Produce Marilenev..............Farmers.......... .... Salt Tax..............Church Tithe
Timber & Wood 25,088,000lb 35,123,200lb 7,168,000lb 4,300,800lb
Wine 281,175 firkin 393,643 firkin 80,335 firkin 48,200 firkin
Honey 77 firkin 108 firkin 22 firkin 13 firkin
Wax 490lb 686lb 140lb 84lb
Fish 1,640 firkin 2,304 firkin 480 firkin 336 firkin
Salt 40 firkin 48 firkin 5 firkin 3 firkin
Cheese 338,730lb 474,222lb 96,780lb 48,390lb
Cattle 1,400 head 1,960 head 400 head 240 head
Turnip 760,725 ton 213,003 ton 21,735 ton 13,040 ton
Wool 4,725lb 6,615lb 1,350lb 945lb
Cheese 90,090lb 126,126lb 25,740lb 15,444lb
Barley 8,662,500lb 12,127,500lb 2,475,000lb 1,485,000lb
Chaff 10,080 ton 11,172 ton 2,880 ton 1,728 ton
Single Farm Incomes
Type..................................Produce Share
1,700 acre wood lot 175,616lb (219.52 Cord)
Fishing family, Small Boat 230.4 firkin fish, 0.48 firkin salt
178 acre Cattle Herder 9.8 head
71 acre Vineyard 984.1075 firkin wine, 1.715lb wax
0.27 firkin honey
70 acre Dairy Farm 2,371.11lb cheese
71 acre Farms 355 ton turnip, 11.025lb wool,
210.21lb cheese, 20,212.5lb barley grain,
18.62 ton chaff