I visited a Monestary today and it got me thinking about their place in the local economy during the period they were most common.
It seems Monestaries were very common durring the Mideval era. I was thinking that a group of Monks at a large monestary might be a drain on local food resources in a time when food production was based on small scale agriculture.
But, I know many monks brewed beer and made some crafts. Were monestaries economically self sufficient? Did they need constant support of money fron local lords or the church?
Basically, what were the economics around monestaries and why were they so prevalent during the time?
Monasteries and convents were largely self-sufficient, closed communities. They had their own gardens and fields, wove their own cloth, grew and milled their own grain, and brewed what they would.
Here's a list-type site,
One on isolationism and how some lands were obtained,
And this book which details some of the public works completed by monks, as well as listing facilities that would be on-site.
The idea of a "monk" is one of voluntary isolation. A monk is removed from society and sworn to celibacy to achieve greater understanding of God.
I am an amateur. I'm sure there are many people on this subreddit with better sources, but I've found these helpful to quick satisfaction. You might investigate essays written on the subject via Google Scholar.