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V Kipling, Women's Land Army, 1939-1945. Cat ref: MAF 59/152

National farm surveys of England and Wales, 1941-1943

Introduction

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For the record

Introduction

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From the start of the Second World War the government realised that Britain faced serious problems concerning food production and supply. Britain's farms had to increase their output, and fast. The Prime Minister Winston Churchill commissioned the National Farm Survey in 1941 to assess the ability of British farms to produce the required foodstuffs for the duration of the war. The documents produced for the National Farm Survey provide much detailed information of mid-20th century rural England and Wales.

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For the record:

The records created in the survey provide a concise inventory of farming at the time. There are four sections for you to trawl through:

  • A return dated 4 June 1941 giving details of fruit, vegetables and stocks of straw and hay
  • A return dated 4 June 4th giving details of crops and grass, livestock and labour employed
  • A Farm Survey. A form was completed by interview, inspection and in the field. As you can see by the example (right) there are two dates on the form. The first relates to the date when the information was recorded, and the second when the record was completed in the District Valuation Office
  • A return with additional questions on labour, motive power/tractors, rents and questions relating to the length of occupancy
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The answers to the several returns can provide local researchers with a wealth of information including:

  • Numbers and size of farms
  • Labour employed in farming
  • The standard of farming
  • The facilities (electricity/water) available at local farms
  • Acreage farmed
  • Numbers of animals

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