IIn the summer of 1917, it became clear that a new source of work was necessary in the agricultural industry. While more and more men joined the US military, an agricultural work shortage was carried out on a national and local scale. The woman’s army of the woman of the woman was established of this achievement, and with the inspiration of our British ally. Organically, certain universities for women have started to train women in specific tasks necessary for farmers.
The most successful training course, through the Bedford College Barnard, NY, laid the foundations for the army of the Land’s Land. In December 1917, the advisory council officially trained the land army. Women have paid for their training in light agricultural work, including weeding, hoe, picking fruits and vegetables, milking, general care of animals and in the use of various equipment.
About 40 units were created in New York State in 1918. Each unit included a supervisor (which also acted as a hood) and a cleaning lady for around 10 to 15 women, although some units are larger. Units have been established in agricultural districts where the shortage of men was acute.
Women were paid $ 15 per month and furnished with accommodation, the board of directors, laundry and uniforms. Farmers would then pay $ 2 a day unit for a day of 8 hours for the moment when women were employed. Each unit was self -sufficient, except for the cost of any agricultural equipment. The units were otherwise supported by fundraising, universities and colleges.
In May 1918, plans were made for a camp near Geneva. A suggested location was at the head of Washington Street, which was mainly open land, or on Alleman’s farm in West Fayette. In two weeks, Elizabeth Alleman was preparing her home to receive 20 “Farmerettes”. Another unit was established on the Ringer farm on Johnson Road in Geneva and housed nearly 30 women occupied with several farms in the surroundings.
‘Capable and efficient’
The farmerettes were faced with certain battles, but as the Daily time Geneva In other words: “Courageous aid quickly overcome the prejudices of the most skeptical men by their persistence in their functions.”
Local farmer Fred Mann had trouble finding workers to help his harvest. He used two women who were practically the only help he could find. Although skeptical, he said that “these girls will make workers arranged, capable and effective from the farm … They never foggy out or do not complain about work.” The farmerettes were able to harvest 80 charges of hay and 30 acres of cereals, in addition to making minor repairs to machines, mowing and manipulating the drawn machines.
Land Army’s efforts did not go unnoticed. Calvin Huson, director of the State Production Office of the State Food Committee, said that the 1918 harvest was the greatest in state history, the spring wheat harvest breaking all records. He attributed this to emergency agricultural volunteers and farms.
Overall, 1,800 farms in New York were sent in 1918.
Because of their success, the president of the country’s army of New York State, Ms. Thomas F. Burgess, began to describe the plans for 1919 in September 1918. She said that the state would need 200 units during the new year. Because training costs costs, most participants were middle -class women to higher.
The Land army began to work with the State Department of Education to give more experience in supervision to participants. Then these women could go to their units and transmit this knowledge to their members. In this way, the program was also open to women in the working class.
Despite the end of the war in November 1918, the requests of farmers in the summer of 1919 exceeded the number of women available in state units. More than 3,600 farmers were expected to be necessary this year. Locally, new units have been established and the old ones have reopened in Romulus, Hector, Macdougall, Milo and other cities.
The national organization of the terrestrial army of the woman seemed to go out after 1919, but the advertisements for the farmerettes still appeared in the Daily time Geneva In 1920. The Geneva Chamber of Commerce noted that a group of New Jersey producers were to be in the region.
There was still a shortage of aid on Geneva farms, and the article “Cherry Crop could be wasted” appeared in the July 14 newspaper. An unusually heavy harvest of embittered cherries meant that even with men, women and children employed in the harvest, they made very little progress. The earth army sent farmeret camps to help. It was the last year that the farmerettes were seen locally until a resurgence in the 1940s.
Overall, New York State had one of the country’s most successful programs.