Field heather alternating economy

Feld-Heide-Wechselwirtschaft is a term from agriculture and describes a form of alternating economy that occurred until the end of the 19th century , as it was mainly operated in the Rhenish Slate Mountains , the Sauerland and the Eifel . This form of extensive land use developed because fertilizers were not available in sufficient quantities for all plots. Over time, a broom heather developed on the land .

Outside corridors of a district , which were mostly grazed as common land , were returned to cultivation at intervals of 12 to 40 years. For this purpose, the common land was divided into individual parcels, the soil was plowed and the pests burned together with the bushes that were also removed. The ashes produced in this way were used to fertilize the fields. Rye could then be grown on the land for one year and barley for one to two years, depending on the local conditions . Then the land was returned to the commons. It was usually greened naturally.