The Enclosures in Britain 16th-18C
 
Looking at our surroundings we could be mistaken for believing that things have been this way for ever, particularly in relation to our natural rural surroundings. History though can often tell us a different story. From a agricultural history perspective simply learning about how our landscape has changed can be very interesting in itself. The recent blog entry makes mention of how spiritually we could perhaps view this period in history. I am of course referring to the situation in Great Britain when I speak of the Enclosures.
Firstly to give an introduction I will try and paint a picture in your mind of the British countryside before the time of the Enclosures this being before the 16th century. Naturally Great Britain was even more a 'green and pleasant land', and  as no roads needed as the car not invented, and even though a number of Roman roads left over, tracks and lanes often dusty or muddy, was the order of the day.
Much of the land was still owned by a few, yet access to this land was allowed by many but not all. 'Common land' was made available by the landlord for grazing, collecting of fuel, with payment being made in the form of work being done for the landowner or payment in kind with produce. For an  individual to be able to have common rights they would have to usually have several acres themselves, with the qualification for being a smallholder/farmer the ability to support at least one cow from your own land. Amazingly it is thought that using the produce from a cow this could equal up to the equivalent of half a year's salary.
Generally before the 16th century there were not the characteristic field divisions with hedges but instead large areas of land, not fenced in. Common grazing rights for those people, already proven to be small-scale farmers, could not just simply be exercised without cooperation with the other users. Land that was being used to grow hay could not simply have a farmer deciding to put his sheep or cows onto it for it would spoil the growing grass. There  also could be crops that were being grown and only once the food had been harvested could the pigs or cattle and sheep be allowed to enter the land. A great deal of discussion and cooperation must've taken place between the numerous farmers .
It is true to say that very often the land was not being used to its full potential with  often simply subsistence farming taking place but when enclosure started many hundreds and thousands of small farmers lost their grazing rights. In general the various land owners in the region  had to agree to the land being enclosed and it was only if no agreement could be found that parliament enforced the enclosures. The large landowners instead of now taking payment in kind, often required actual rent from those who wish to use their land. Such access to cash was impossible for many and it is believed that many were then forced off the land. Historians differ as to the extent to which the enclosures act led people from the countryside to the city's, because during this period we have the start of the Industrial Revolution. This is significant because as many small farmers were not making a very good living the attraction of the cities and the factories was a real one, with the dream of having a better life. Life was hard and the land that the small farmer had Common grazing rights over also was looked to for the provision of fuel for fires, to keep warm and to cook. Fuel in the form of wood and often turfs was at times hard to come by and the major expense for anyone in these centuries.
 
It is true to say that farming efficiency certainly increased with now large areas of land being able to be set aside purely for grass production or corn production rather than having a whole range of different activities taking place on the land. Some areas of Britain became mainly grass areas as the deep heavy clay soils (at this stage there were no powerful tractors able to plough its heavy land) was well suited for growing quality grazing Grass. Hawthorn hedges were popular and hedges and walls using readily available materials from nearby quarries became popular. It is reckoned that in Britain where hedgerows are winding and crooked these are those that existed before the enclosures time. Where hedges long and generally straight these are believed to be from the time of the enclosures.
What can be learnt from these times? For hundreds of years (maybe even thousands) farming it seemed had been more of a communal activity with discussion having to be had to decide what was best for all  of folk in the village rather than just for a few large landowners. Even the structure of the village before the 16th century was different than it was now. It is now common to see an isolated farmhouse surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of acres. Before enclosures the small-scale farmers and possibly even the main landowner had their homes in the village or town. Most of the common land seemed to be owned by a few land owning farmers, yet also some land it seemed became available for sale that was owned by the state. This land though was completely out of the reach of being purchased by the small farmer , who used to have common rights, and the large farmers bought up more land and so had even larger estates.
The common good of the many small farmers certainly would've given way to potentially the more selfish desires of the large landowner. As stated earlier the Industrial Revolution coinciding with this time certainly complicates perceptions as undoubtedly many did leave the land to go to the cities, even perhaps having done this regardless of the enclosures.
 
Generally production from the land did increase through more efficient farming practices and more appropriate for the type of land yet not all such enclosure of the land was for the good of the people. In certain parts of Scotland the land being enclosed was not used for food production but instead for increasing the number of deer so as to satisfy the hunting and recreational appetites of the gentry.
When we look at the early church and the way in which we read in the book of Acts that they shared their possessions, even selling property and fields to do so, this certainly seems to relate in some ways to what was happening  pre-the enclosures. Of course because there is sin in the world even the best plans of man, even those with good intentions can often go sour. The so-called freedom for all of communism with the collective farms supposedly being for the good of all ,was spoiled by corruption. Selfishness can often lead to that which was a good, even Godly ideas, being corrupted. Even though this is the case from history with God in the equation communities can grow crops, raise animals for the common good of all and not simply to make the best profit going, regardless of the effect on their neighbour. It would be good to hear from those of you in different continents of the world how your farming systems have changed over the years.