agricultural monasticism

Agricultural monasticism was a practice in medieval monasteries where monks dedicated themselves to farming and land management as a central part of their religious life. Monasteries became self-sufficient communities, cultivating crops, raising livestock, and managing estates to support their spiritual and material needs. This system helped preserve agricultural knowledge, improve farming techniques, and sustain local economies. Monks viewed manual labor on the land as a form of prayer and discipline, blending spiritual devotion with productive work to ensure the community's stability and growth during the Middle Ages.