Farming the land: Girls of the 21st Century

Veteran and 21st century Land Girls today (19 August) celebrated over seventy years of women’s farming at an event to be held at the Imperial War Museum London’s Wartime Farm.

Working together at the Museums temporary outdoors Wartime Farm the Land Girls demonstrated how the skills of women in the sector have changed during the last 70 years, whilst highlighting how the government funded Women and Work programme has helped the modern day Land Girls to develop their skills and careers.

A spokesperson for the Imperial War Museum said: During the Second World War, British agriculture had to dramatically increase production to feed the nation and the Womens Land Army played an essential part in this process, along with prisoners of war and those who volunteered at Farming Holiday Camps.  Our Ministry of Food exhibition, and the Wartime Farm, seeks to pay tribute to the men, women and children who played their part in the story of wartime food, including the many thousands of Womens Land Army recruits whose duties ranged from ploughing to rat catching.

According to research published by Lantra, the environmental and land-based skills council, a staggering 81% of the agricultural workforce is male.  To help readdress the balance Lantras Women and Work programme is providing women with an individual 450 training grant.

Lantras programme has helped more than 3,000 women over the last four years gain skills in areas such as farm-shop layout, tractor driving, butchery, animal and livestock foot trimming, website design, management and accounts.

Madge Moore, Lantras National Director for England, said: The programme gives women opportunities to progress their own careers and embark on new activities which they may never have otherwise considered.  The sheer variety of courses women have taken really highlights the incredible range of opportunities that are available to women in the land-based sector.  And this is why the Women and Work programme is so valuable.

Liz Stockley, a first generation dairy farmer from Dorset and formerly an accountant, has completed management training with the Women and Work programme.  Her farm is now organic and, as a result of the training, they have made very practical changes to the way in which the farm is run.

Jane Wilton-Clark, after a serious riding accident, left her job at an IT company in the City to become a successful pig farmer in Cambridgeshire.  Jan completed her course in Pork Butchery with the Women and Work programme and started her farm with just two pigs.   Jane now operates a farm with over 200 rare-breed pigs on 33 acres of farmland.  She sells her products at local famers markets and is looking to expand her business online and at an outlet at the farm.  Due to local demand, she will also be teaching pig-keeping courses to interested residents.

Michelle Dale is in charge of HR for Bordon Hill Nurseries.  She joined the Stratford-upon-Avon company seven years ago as an administrative assistant.  Gaining NVQ Level 5 in personnel strategy with a grant from the Women and Work programme has helped Michelle progress her career.  She says, It means that my long-term ambition of becoming a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is within reach.  In fact, I hope to gain my fellowship by the end of the year.

Wartime Farm, 12-15 and 19-22 August, 11am-4pm

Admission Free

Sponsored by Company of Cooks

 

To coincide with its major exhibition, The Ministry of Food, Imperial War Museum London is hosting a wartime farm in its grounds during the summer holidays.

With the help of animals from Surrey Docks City Farm, children and families will enjoy hands-on learning about the important roles people like them played in feeding the nation during the Second World War.

About Women and Work

• The Women and Work: Sector Pathways Initiative is about raising skills and unlocking potential.  The project aims to raise recruitment levels in sectors where women are under-represented; increasing earning potential and aiding career progression. The initiative is in response to recommendations by the Women and Work Commissions report Shaping a Fairer Future and receives government funding, matched by employer contributions.

• Women and Work funding is available to those working in agriculture, aquaculture, environmental conservation, farriery, fencing, fisheries management, game and wildlife, horticulture, landscaping and sports turf,  production horticulture, land-based engineering and trees and timber.

• Women and Work has received an additional 18,000 in funding for the 2010-2011 phase to help an additional 40 women.  This phase will now be funding 710 women.

• For more information:  www.lantra.co.uk/womenandwork/

About Lantra

• Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for the environmental and land-based industries, is licensed by the UK government to drive forward the new skills, training and business development agenda for the sector.

• Lantra represents 17 industries and 1.5 million workers and volunteers in agricultural crops, agricultural livestock, animal care, animal technology, aquaculture, environmental conservation, equine, farriery, fencing, fisheries management, floristry, game and wildlife management, land-based engineering, landscaping, production horticulture, trees and timber and veterinary nursing. For more information see www.lantra.co.uk.