Britain's Farm Labor Crisis

On 18 August 1914, the government called on farmers to increase the production of food and the area of agricultural land under wheat and cereal production. It asked farmers to commit to what was, at the time, a more labor intensive and financially precarious production system without any support or protection. Realizing that Britain was not producing enough food to feed the nation, the government continued to look overseas and forge new contracts for supplies from across the world.

Almost a third of male farm workers had gone to war along with mechanics and blacksmiths, work horses had been requisitioned, machinery was limited and fertilizers and feed were in short supply. By 1917, almost half of steam-ploughing sets were lying idle due to the loss of farm workers to the war.

Registering for military service was voluntary under what was known as the "Derby Scheme," However, from the outbreak of war, men were encouraged to sign up for military duty with a heavy recruitment campaign and regular  publications of propaganda. Replacing lost labor proved difficult as many of the men working on farms had enlisted; the Board and the War Office had to cooperate. In 1917, the War Office released men to help with the spring cultivation and harvest and the Women’s Land Army was formed to provide extra labor on farm

The government was reluctant to apply "essential" status to agriculture as it had done to mining and munitions. These industries had been deemed essential to the war effort and therefore the government ensured that the labor supply was maintained. As long as the food supply was maintained with imports the government saw little need for action.

Agricultural fairs were heavily targeted by recruitment officers and a significant number of men signed up. Historian P.E. Dewey reported that farms saw a loss of 170,000 men aged 18 and over between 1914 and 1918, around 17.5 per cent of the workforce. A lot of skills and experience were lost with these men, and when Britain was faced with food shortages from 1916 the government recognized that it needed to provide assistance for farms.

A National Registration Act was introduced in 1915 which listed men still available to sign up and these men were targeted. In May 1915, recruitment officers were instructed not to accept skilled farm workers so that they could remain on the farm to protect Britain’s food supply. Government was beginning to recognize that with the war continuing past Christmas, food supplies must be considered. Farming was emerging as an increasingly vital part of the war effort.

By autumn 1915, some of these skilled laborers became "starred" which made them exempt from military duties. Starred workers were in positions deemed essential to the war effort. Many of these protected skilled workers felt patriotic enough to attest their willingness to serve but were usually granted exemptions. In 1917, a Food Production Department was established by the Board of Agriculture to manage the distribution of agricultural inputs such as labor, feed, fertilizer, and machinery to increase the output of crops.

To help with a lack of labor the Ministry of Munitions became responsible for the production and distribution of agricultural machinery in a bid to increase the number of motor tractors used on farm. As a result of the Industrial Revolution, the Army had increased demands on industry as the new age of warfare meant using metals, chemicals and railways for transportation which contributed to delays in the distribution and manufacture of agricultural machinery.

Eventually, the War Office supplied farms with prisoners of war and British soldiers from 1917. By 1918, there were 14,000 prisoners of war and 66,000 soldiers employed in British agriculture. They also began to send experienced ploughmen back from the front line to assist, as this was a vital and skilled job. However, many of these men had been injured, and yet more labor was needed.

By 1915, the Board of Agriculture developed a scheme for training women to do agricultural work in agricultural colleges across the country. This training focused on milking and "light" farm work. The courses lasted for 25 weeks, and 218 women signed up, with 199 finding work afterward. On top of this, many women took it upon themselves to form women’s associations to find work in agriculture. There were also some private organizations, such as the Women’s Defence Relief Corps, which was taken over by the Board of Agriculture in 1917.

This led to the formation of the Women’s Land Army (WLA) in 1917. The aims of the WLA were to recruit women for agriculture, break down the anti-feminine bias, and organize "gangs" for farm work. If women were working on a farm for over 30 days, they were entitled to wear an armlet of military appearance to demonstrate to others that they were doing their duty for their country; the armlet was khaki with a red crown. By 1918, there were more than 223,000 women in agriculture, with 8,000 working in the WLA performing the same tasks as men to continue producing food for Britain. 

Source: "The Few That Fed the Many", NFUONLINE.com