Kenttäjärjestelmät

Kenttäjärjestelmät, often translated as "field systems" or "open-field systems," were a prevalent agricultural practice in many parts of Europe, particularly from the medieval period until the 18th and 19th centuries. These systems were characterized by the division of arable land into a multitude of long, narrow strips. These strips were typically allocated to individual peasant households within a village community.

The land itself was not enclosed privately by fences or hedges. Instead, the strips were organized into larger blocks or fields, which might be cultivated communally or managed according to established village customs. A key feature was the practice of crop rotation, often involving a two-field or three-field system. In a three-field system, for example, one field would be sown with winter crops, another with spring crops, and the third would be left fallow to recover its fertility.

This system had several implications. It fostered cooperation among villagers, as communal decisions were often needed regarding planting times, the types of crops grown, and the management of fallow land. It also allowed for a relatively equitable distribution of land resources, as each household received strips in different fields, thus spreading the risk associated with soil quality and proximity to the village. However, the open nature of the fields also meant that livestock could graze on harvested fields and fallow land, sometimes leading to disputes. The gradual enclosure of fields, particularly in Britain during the Enclosure Acts, marked the decline of the traditional kenttäjärjestelmä.