History Features

Farming in yesteryear

2008 is the centenary year of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and BBC Radio Gloucestershire marked the anniversary with a special programme, "100 Years of Gloucestershire Farming", presented by Vernon Harwood.

The county is almost unique in its rich and varied farming heritage with agricultural practices slowly evolving over the centuries. West Gloucestershire was characterised by forestry and small mixed farms. The gently rolling arable land and grazing sheep in the Cotswolds and in the Stroud Valleys gained a worldwide reputation.

Royal Agricultural Show Banquet Invitation

The Vales of Gloucester and Berkeley were renowned for their milk and cheese as well as pig production while the orchards of the Leadon Valley provided the fruit for top class cider and perry.

A century ago, the typical daily wage for a Gloucestershire farm worker was about 2 shillings (10 pence), with no provision for a meal at lunchtime. These conditions along with a national depression and cheap overseas imports were the background to the creation of an apolitical trade association to represent farmers.

1909 Map of Royal Show site

The result was the National Farmers' Union and even in the organisation's infancy Gloucestershire played a significant role. Colin Campbell was confirmed as the union's first President at the Royal Agricultural Show held on the Oxlease in Gloucester in June 1909.

Gloucestershire officially joined the NFU that year, along with Breconshire, Hampshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Radnorshire and Warwickshire. They joined the founding county branches of Shropshire, Lincolnshire, Devon, Yorkshire, Kent, Leicestershire and Derbyshire but it was another nine years before all the remaining counties of England and Wales had signed up and the union became truly national.

Farming half a century ago...

Over the decades the work of the organisation has been praised and criticised in equal measure but it's worth noting that some of the NFU's fiercest critics are farmers themselves.

In a special centenary interview with BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Vernon Harwood, the current President of the NFU, Peter Kendall, pays tribute to the spirit and achievements of the county's farmers:

"I've been down to Gloucester lots of times and I know from the fiery meetings we have at Agriculture House in Gloucester that this is a county of real passion..."

Vernon with NFU President Peter Kendall

"But also it's a county of immense diversity; A real variety of livestock, of vegetable and arable production that I think has been a leader throughout the country." 

NFU President Peter Kendall spoke to BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Vernon Harwood about the centenary and the current challenges facing local farmers. You can hear the full interview by clicking on the link below.