Stonecross Directive — Late Summer, Year 1

I. Seasonal Harvest & Terrace Management

As late summer ripens our upland terrace crops and signals the start of the lowland cereal harvest, Stonecross must balance field labor with workshop production. Our terraced agriculture requires disciplined, timely gathering to ensure our mountain larders are fully stocked before autumn rains.

1. Staged Terrace Harvesting:
   • Organize field teams into rotating harvesting crews. Begin with early-maturing terrace grains, pulses, and hillside root crops as each plot reaches full ripeness.
   • Utilize hand-sickles sharpened with our own fine grit whetstones to maximize harvesting speed and minimize grain shatter.
   • Carry harvested sheaves immediately to stone drying floors and sheltered threshing platforms on the upper benches. Beat and winnow during clear, breezy afternoons.
2. Granary Preparation & Storage Upgrades:
   • Thoroughly sweep, scrub, and smoke-cure the settlement storehouses to eradicate pests before storing new grain.
   • Utilize newly acquired Hearthmere ceramic storage jars and sealed earthenware vessels to store winnowed seed grain and dried legumes, sealing jar lids with beeswax to protect against moisture and rodents.
   • Stack bulk sacks on raised stone-and-timber dunnage well off earthen floors to preserve airflow.

II. Targeted Craft Production: Milling Querns & Whetstones

The lowland barley harvest across Barleybank and the river valleys creates peak seasonal demand for tools to process the new crop. We will channel stoneworking labor directly into high-value, harvest-critical trade goods.

1. Quern & Mortar Production:
   • Tovin (Stoneworker): Focus workshop labor on dressing rotary hand-querns, heavy saddle querns, and deep grain-grinding mortars from tough basalt and granite benches.
   • Ensure grinding faces are sharply pecked and balanced with true center-spindles so valley households and communal bakeries can process their new grain efficiently.
2. Harvest Whetstones & Slates:
   • Maintain steady finishing of portable scythe-whetstones and fine-grained honing stones for harvesting blades.
   • Continue dressing flat slate hearth-plates and roofing tiles from bench offcuts as secondary barter stock.
3. Quality Verification:
   • Tovin will personally inspect every milling pair for balance and smooth rotation. Stonecross's mark must remain a regional guarantee of honest weight, true flat surfaces, and lasting durability.

III. Waystation Barter, Grain Inflow & Measure House Logistics

The roadside shelter has proven its worth as a secure commercial waystation. In late summer, with grain flowing from lowland fields and merchant caravans traveling between Measure House and the northern hills, Willa will direct active trade operations.

1. Waystation Barter Operations:
   • Willa (Exchange Witness): Direct commercial operations at the roadside shelter. Set clear, fair exchange schedules:
     • Primary Inflow Target: New-crop threshed grain (barley and wheat), dried legumes, and salt fish from traveling valley carters and merchants in exchange for finished querns, mortars, and whetstones.
     • Ceramic Acquisition: Seek opportunities to acquire standardized Hearthmere storage jars and ceramic roof-ridge tiles (either from passing carters or by negotiating delivery of Hearthmere stock staged at Measure House) to equip Stonecross storehouses.
     • Reedhaven Wicker Goods: Exchange for heavy transport hampers and grain winnowing baskets needed for autumn storage.
2. Waystation Staging & Hospitality:
   • Maintain the rotating two-person warden crew at the shelter. Provide clean spring water, firewood, secure sleeping bunks, and lockable storage for carters staging their wagons overnight.
   • Collect customary shelter dues in measures of grain, cured provisions, or useful raw materials.

IV. Draft Management & Controlled Hauling

Our oxen are rested, sound, and in peak condition thanks to careful midsummer pasture management. With harvest transport beginning, Vann will manage draft labor with continued discipline.

1. Controlled Bench-to-Waystation Transport:
   • Vann (Ox Keeper): Deploy draft teams exclusively for downward runs transporting finished, heavy stone querns and mortars to the roadside waystation, and bringing back bulk barter grain and ceramic jars to Stonecross.
   • Hauling runs must occur strictly during the cool hours of early morning dawn or twilight. No ox is to be worked under the direct midday sun.
   • Maintain strict animal rotation: no single ox team shall make more than two descent-and-ascent cycles per week.
2. Pasture & Nutrition:
   • Graze oxen in high meadows during evening hours, supplementing their diet with clover and clean water. Ensure hooves and draft gear are inspected and greased after each haul.

V. Infrastructure Vigilance & Custodial Integrity

1. Roadbed & Drainage Inspection:
   • Una (Road Forewoman): Conduct bi-weekly maintenance walk-throughs along the upland road and the completed retaining wall.
   • Ensure all weep holes remain clear of silt or washed-in debris. Keep runoff ditches cleared so early autumn rains are guided smoothly into natural ravines away from the roadbed.
   • Clear any loose scree along the upper road cuts to ensure uninterrupted passage for carters and draft teams.
2. Reference Weight Custody:
   • Ressa (Reference Custodian): Continue routine twice-monthly inspections of the independent reference stone in the inner storehouse vault. Confirm that humidity remains low and that all four clan wax seals on the cord remain intact and unblemished.
3. Measure House Communication:
   • Send a courtesy message via traveling carters to Convenor Belen, Sella, and Oren at Measure House. Affirm that Stonecross’s upland road is clear and secure, our roadside waystation is operating smoothly, and Stonecross remains ready to support orderly harvest exchanges across the region.