What did medieval monks actually do all day?Believe it or not, the answer involved a lot more than sitting quietly in a monastery praying.In this episode of the Growers Podcast, we're going back to medieval Europe to explore the fascinating history of monastic brewing, medieval beer, monastery breweries, farming, herb gardens, bread making, and traditional crafts.Monasteries weren't simply places where monks lived and prayed. Many became important economic and agricultural centers, producing food, beer, wine, medicines, herbs, bread, and other goods for their communities.The Benedictine tradition famously emphasized ora et labora — "prayer and work." Monks were expected to devote themselves not only to spiritual life but also to productive work, craftsmanship, farming, gardening, and self-sufficiency.And apparently, some of those monks got really good at making beer.We'll explore how medieval monks brewed beer, why beer was such an important part of medieval life, how monasteries became centers of agriculture and craftsmanship, and how monks helped preserve and develop knowledge about plants, herbs, farming, fermentation, brewing, and food production.We'll also look at the gardens and farms that supplied monasteries, the herbs used by medieval monks, the role of beer and fermentation in medieval society, and how some monastic brewing traditions survived for centuries.And, of course, we'll have plenty of jokes along the way.Prayer. Work. Farming. Gardening. Brewing. Baking.Maybe medieval monks had figured out something we've forgotten.🍺🌿Growers Show Ep 35