Page 41 - Biorefinery 2030 Future Prospects for the Bioeconomy (2015)

8 1 Unique, Multi-generational Development: A Lesson in Forward Planning

2.1 From the Eighteenth Century Until the 1950s

During this period, the region’s economy was mostly agricultural, apart from a
small textile industry. Rural areas in Champagne are organised around closely-knit
villages, with the houses generally grouped around the church. These villages are
few in number, as the region has traditionally had a very low population, perhaps
due to the poor quality of the soil, or the ravages of the many wars that have crossed
the region, the attraction of Paris or the very loose network of parishes.
Around the village (c.f. Fig. 1.5), gardens were established to feed the local
families, and beyond these the tilled land began. These were made up of multiple
tiny plots cultivated using a 3-year rotation system, in which the land lay fallow
1 year, was planted with wheat in the second and finally spring cereals (oats, barley
and buckwheat). Because they were close to the village, this land was particularly
cared for and benefited from organic amendments. These were still only very
occasional at this time, but improved yields.
On more distant plots, the practice of crop rotation was more difficult, because
the farmers only had animals to work in the fields and transport manure. This land
was more often cultivated intermittently, depending on the weather conditions.
Finally, in the Champagne Crayeuse area, the land that was too far from the
village was known as the “saltus,” fallow land known as “savarts” (grass and
scrubland). This area was huge, and in the eighteenth century covered up to 40 %
of agricultural land. It was cultivated extensively and was never developed signifi-
cantly for breeding, even for sheep and goats.
Despite the variety of types of land, Diderot and d’Alembert described the whole
of the region in their 1753 Encyclopaedia as “Champagne pouilleuse” or “Flea-
ridden Champagne.” This bad image established itself for at least two centuries, and
was strengthened by very harsh judgments by influential characters of the time such

VILLAGE

FAMILY GARDENS
FARMLAND (wheat, oats, barley,
buckwheat, fallow land)
TRIOS (farmed intermi ently depending
on the weather condi ons)
SALTUS (fallow land, “savart”)

Fig. 1.5 Organisation of rural land in champagne in the eighteenth century