In historic and traditional farming systems, the infield is the primary cultivated land directly adjacent to the farm buildings. It receives the bulk of the farmyard manure and intensive labor, supporting continuous annual cropping. This contrasts with the outfield, which is further away and often left to pasture or long fallow periods.
Heard on the job
The sheep are out on the moor, but we'll bring them down to graze the infield after the barley harvest.
Do not mix it up with
- Outfield: The infield is the intensely cultivated land near the farm, while the outfield is the rougher grazing or rotational land further away.