Skördeflott

Skördeflott is a term used in Swedish-language contexts to describe a lottery-like mechanism tied to the harvest season. In its simplest sense, it refers to a systematic drawing of lots to allocate limited harvest resources, assign labor tasks, or determine access to fields and equipment within a community.

Etymology: Skörd means harvest, and lott means lot or lottery; together they express a harvest-related lottery. Some sources spell it skördelott; regional variations exist.

Context and practice: Historically, in agrarian communities with scarce resources, a skördeflott could determine which households received priority for shares of the harvest, which plots of land would be worked by whom, or the order in which labor or equipment were assigned. Draws were typically held at communal gatherings or during harvest festivals, with participants' names placed in a container and a name selected publicly to ensure transparency.

Modern usage: The concept is primarily of historical and cultural interest. It appears in regional histories and discussions of traditional Nordic farming practices. In contemporary contexts, the term may be used in museum exhibitions or education programs to illustrate forms of communal decision-making.

See also: harvest festival, drawing lots, communal decision-making.