How To Survive The Recession By Being Lord Of An Abundance Of Agricultural Manors
And a few quarries, too
Whether we care to admit it or not, recessions affect us all, nobles and peasants alike. The economy cares not for the purity of our noble bloodlines nor the gilded perfection of our many scepters.
But whilst a recession may cause even the grandest Dukes and Duchesses amongst us to postpone construction of that new castle, or even cancel a punitive expedition to our enemies in the North, there are ways to soften the blow. Studies hath shown that being Lord of an abundance of fertile, crop-producing manors can help any noble not only survive, but thrive, during a recession.
Here are some tips on making it throughst the next recession, assuming that thou art already the Lord of dozens of agricultural manors spanning across the Kingdom’s most fertile growing regions.
Diversify Thy Landholdings
“If thou diversifies thy landholdings, this will ensure that a blight upon thy crops or a localized barbarian invasion will only affect a small portion of thy revenue,” spake Royal Eckonomist Meethal Pickelgräber. “I personally recommend a mix of lowland, highland, and coastal estates, plus a few healthy parcels of olde growth forest.
“And, of course, it couldn’t hurt to have a limestone quarry or two.”
Workforce Management
Lording over unimaginably large swaths of arable land comes with its challenges. Just as important as the land itself is the workforce of peasants and serfs which toils upon it. Whilst their happiness is of no import, the ways in which a Lord manages these otherwise insignificant underlings during a recession will determine the overall productivity of his demesne.
“‘Tis important to think strategically about layoffs,” spake Pickelgräber. “Most Lords assume that during a recession they need to make cuts, and they’ll cut the heads off their most useless peasants so there’s fewer mouths to feed. But ‘tis wiser instead to work them to death. By the tyme they realize you’re no longer paying or feeding them, they’ll be too weak to rebel and will just sort of die.”
Invest in ſpice
Along with gold and precious gemstones, ſpice is always a safe investment during economic downturns. If thou already hast a fleet of merchant ships and a vast network of trading posts spanning across the seas, then thou art well-positioned to invest in the ſpice trade. If thou dost not yet have a fleet of ships, then it might be a goode tyme to cut down one of thy olde growth forests to build one.
Go to War
Even if grain output is plummeting and thy flocks of sheep are ravaged by wolves, going to war is always a solid fallback plan. Remember: no matter how tough the tymes seem, there is always somebody out there to plunder!
