In the middle ages, living off the land was very difficult and farmers had to get by with much lower crop yields. Baking was popular, and pig farming was generally successful since the animals could graze on acorns in nearby forests.

In southwest Germany, about ninety percent of the medieval population were serfs. They cultivated fields and lands that they had been given by their lords. In return, the peasants had to provide the nobility and their entourage with food and labor.