The huge crisis in farming from the middle of the 14th century did not affect all regions in the same way. It struck harder in regions with difficult conditions for the farmers. In Norway, there was a dramatic decline in farming and cattle-breeding. This was also the case in the wood-lands of Småland. Rich agricultural provinces like Södermanland, Närke and large parts of Denmark were not as severely affected.
The crisis meant many abandoned farms, reduced farming, less products to sell and higher prices on available products. People who already had a hard time, the sick and the poor, died. On the other hand those who survived slowly got a better life. Peasants who had been suffering from heavy taxes, could now negotiate with their landlords to get better terms. In some regions, it was better to be a tenant farmer, renting the land from a nobleman, than to be a freeholder.
Not until the 15th century did the population reach the same number as before the Black Death. Now, formerly deserted farms became occupied, and the land was farmed again.