The collapse of larger institutions may have changed the opportunities available to ordinary families.

If wealthy farms declined, workers and dependents could lose support.

If church institutions weakened, social cohesion could also change.

Economic contraction can therefore become a social transformation long before it becomes an empty landscape.

The importance of hay becomes clearer when livestock is viewed as stored capital.

A healthy herd is not just food; it is a renewable resource.

Cows produce calves and milk, sheep reproduce, goats provide multiple useful products, and horses support transport.

Losing animals therefore removes future production.