Ryoke appointed kaihatsu ryoshu to shokan to manage the lands, and through them, ryoke obtained income for themselves by collecting harvests from shoen as jishi (land taxes under the Ritsuryo system) and required peasants (shomin) who worked within shoen to provide labor for kuji (public duties).
領家は、開発領主を現地管理者として荘官に任命し、荘官を通じて、荘園からの収穫を地子として徴収したり、荘園内の百姓（荘民）に労役を課したり（公事）して、自らの収入とした。