"My Lord Eddard, Winterfell will never have to worry about running out of candles again," Klar said excitedly, showing Eddard the burning Honey Candles in the candle workshop. The Candle Workers were busy nearby.
Klar was dressed in a sky-blue robe with gold thread, a pure gold chain around his neck. Eddard wore a black fox fur coat, the House Stark Direwolf emblem on his chest, standing out amidst a group of grimy Candle Workers.
Eddard picked up a candle. "How many of these candles can you produce in a day?"
Kayo the Candle Maker was in charge here, a thin old man with white hair.
"My Lord Eddard, we can produce less than two hundred of these candles a day. Of course, this is because many of the workers are new to candle production and have never been involved in this industry before. Please rest assured, my Lord Eddard, leave them to me. I will train them well, and practice makes perfect. In a month, our output will double."
Eddard and Klar left the candle workshop, escorted by Jory Cassel, the Winterfell Captain of the Guard, and walked through the crowds in Winter Town market.
A skinny boy was selling steaming bread, a fisherman was hawking fresh White Knife River fish, and a group of farmwives were haggling over a cage of "clucking" chickens. The Duke of the North often inspected Winter Town, and the nearby residents were already accustomed to it, with no one stopping to watch.
Eddard and Klar arrived at the Cattle Farm. The farm was divided into two parts: a Cattle Pen and a Cattle Barn. The Cattle Pen was an open-air area fenced with wooden railings where the workers would drive the cattle to bask in the sun during the day. When the evenings grew cold or during rain and snow, the cattle were moved back to the Cattle Barn, which was built of bricks and earth with a wooden roof.
Gavin, the Farm Manager, was examining a dairy cow, while a milker was busy milking another. Outside the Cattle Pen, a cart was already filled with buckets of milk.
Eddard said, "Gavin, are these the new dairy cows you purchased?"
Gavin walked over smiling, "My Lord Eddard, I've already sent a cart of milk to Winterfell. Are you and your family pleased with the quality?"
Eddard replied, "Our whole family is very satisfied. Sansa said she never expected to drink milk produced at home. Where did you buy these dairy cows?"
Gavin said, "Some are from villages near Winterfell, some from the Barrowlands, and of course, most are from the East Coast. Many farmers feared the Ironborn Pirates would steal their cows, so they were eager to sell them, and they ended up in Winterfell through a series of resales."
Klar rubbed his hands, "The cattle dealers made a lot of money, but rest assured, My Lord Eddard, when they bring their cows to Winter Town for trade, our tax officials will make sure they pay their dues."
Gavin then led Eddard and Klar to see the Dairy Goats in the Goat Pen. During Rickon's birthday feast, the lords of the Northern Mountain Clans gifted Winterfell a herd of Dairy Goats. Eddard quickly discovered that these Dairy Goats produced a high yield of milk, and he began preparations for large-scale breeding from that moment.
After the establishment of the Winterfell farm, Eddard ordered Gavin to purchase Dairy Goats. It just so happened that the expansion of Winter Town attracted many herders from the Northern Mountain Clans to settle there. Among their herds were quite a few Dairy Goats, which Gavin promptly purchased.
"Currently, there are over sixty Dairy Goats in the Goat Pen, and we have even more goats. The milk and goat milk will be sent to Wolf's Hall and Wolf's Tavern, and we also have stalls in the market specifically for selling milk and goat milk. If we make money in the future and Lord Eddard wants to expand, I suggest we can raise Sheep. Sheep's wool can be made into clothes, and the thick fur won't be hard to sell in the North!"
Eddard said, "I will seriously consider your plan. How is the winter feed storage progressing?"
When winter arrives, livestock and poultry will die on a large scale due to lack of food, and Eddard always valued the storage of feed.
Gavin said, "The feed is progressing smoothly. We bought straw, grass, and leaves from the farmers at a low price, processed them into feed, and have now filled several warehouses."
Eddard was delighted to find that the Pig Pen was filled with piglets huddled around the sows, and the maids in the Chicken Coop had baskets full of eggs.
In Eddard's plan, the Slaughterhouse next to the farm would be responsible for slaughtering animals and transporting the meat to the market for sale. Currently, there were few butchers in the Slaughterhouse because the farm had just been established, and few animals were ready for slaughter. Most of the animals slaughtered by the butchers were brought back from Wolfswood by the hunters of Winterfell.
In the future, the meat from the Slaughterhouse would be transported to the Sausage Workshop for processing. The Sausage Workshop had begun trial operations, but the first head of the Sausage Workshop was fired by Eddard as soon as he took office. The sausages he made not only tasted bad but also lacked hygiene.
Now, the head of the Sausage Workshop was a woman named Phoebe. She was a plump, cheerful woman in her forties. She had lived in Winter Town for many years and made a living by raising pigs and making Ham. The Hams of Winterfell had always been supplied by Phoebe. She was experienced in making sausages, so Catelyn recommended her.
Eddard watched as workers in the pig pen loaded manure onto carts. Gavin said, "Lord Eddard, as you instructed, we've cleared the manure from the farm and are transporting it to the nearby Stark Manor to fertilize the fields."
Besides providing meat, the farm could also provide animal manure.
Huren, Winterfell's Stablemaster, was now upgraded to Winter Town Stablemaster. Some stables in Winter Town had already been built. Eddard ordered Huren to breed high-quality horses, which would become the main force of the Northern Cavalry in the future. Excellent horses from the areas around Winterfell, the Riverlands, Dreadfort, and White Harbor, all appeared in the stables.
Eddard shaded his eyes, gazing at the farm in the sunlight, the distant farmland, and the vibrant Wolfswood.
"Manure can increase soil fertility, promote crop production, and increase grain yields."
Gavin accompanied him with a smile, "Lord Eddard, the problem is, the person in charge of Stark Manor told me they don't need any more manure. The horse manure from the stables will also be delivered to Stark Manor for fertilization. It seems we need to dig a large dung pit."
Urban development inevitably leads to sanitation problems. Even King's Landing and Oldtown couldn't properly manage their toilets and sewage systems. Many cities were criticized for their stench, and Winter Town couldn't avoid this fate in the future.
Eddard waved his hand, "Winter Town has so much land; the farmers' fields definitely need fertilizer. We can sell the manure at a set price, cheaply to them."
Gavin gave an awkward laugh, "Lord Eddard, these farmers barely make enough as it is. Expecting them to spend money on manure to fertilize their fields? It's impossible!"
It was truly difficult to get any money from the farmers, Eddard thought, feeling frustrated. "Giving it to them for free, then? Fertilizing the fields is always a good thing."
Gavin said, "Many farmers don't even understand the concept of fertilizing their land. They plant the crops, weed them, and then just pray for good weather."
Eddard pondered for a moment. "I'll have Maester Luwin write some simple informational pamphlets about fertilization. We'll send people to distribute them to the farmers in Winter Town and the nearby villages. Do you think that would work?"
Gavin replied, "How many farmers can even read? I haven't seen many. Lord Eddard, it would be better to send Winterfell's servants to spread the word among the farmers. Maybe then they'll come to the farm and haul away this troublesome animal manure."
Eddard and his financial advisor, Klar, left the farm and headed towards Winterfell.
"Klar, did you see that? Our farm is absolutely thriving, it will definitely help us make money in the future."
Klar was uninterested. "Lord Eddard, I don't have that kind of confidence. I've heard an old saying among farmers, 'A fortune in wool is not a fortune at all.' Livestock and poultry aren't necessarily assets! A plague or extreme weather event could wipe us out completely."
....
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