Women and the Land: Agricultural Organizations of World War I
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When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Americans worried about labor shortages caused by men leaving their work to join the military. Would enough laborers remain on the home front to harvest crops to feed troops and civilians? Private groups like the Woman's Land Army and the Woman's National Farm and Garden Association trained women to tend the country's farms and gardens. They provided critical support to the federal war effort.
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World War I Poster, "For Every Fighter a Woman Worker, " 1918
To fill positions vacated by men going off to fight, the government encouraged women to participate as the "Second Line of Defense." Women worked in factories, hospitals, on farms, and in other essential services, thus providing consistent support for the American war effort.
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World War I Poster, "Woman's Land Army of America," 1918
Private agricultural groups founded the Woman's Land Army in 1917 to train women to take over farming jobs left vacant by men who went to fight. The organization, based on the British Women's Land Army, trained women at agricultural camps around the country and assigned them to specific farms to work for the duration of the war.
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Woman in Work Costume Officially Approved by the Land Army of America, 1918
The practical Woman's Land Army uniforms provided easy mobility for active farm work. Their clean-cut appearance also helped the public to reconcile the idea of women keeping their femininity while still performing hard physical labor.
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"Woman's National Farm and Garden Association New England Branch," 1918
The Woman's National Farm and Garden Association was formed in 1914 and took on wartime duties after 1917. The organization used a variety of methods to recruit, as more workers were always needed to aid the war effort. This pamphlet provided information about the association's mission and work and served as one of many tools to help attract additional laborers.
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List of New England Woman's National Farm and Garden Assocation Units, 1918
The Woman's National Farm and Garden Association recruited and trained women to perform agricultural work across the country. This list identified the various units and number of women serving in the New England area.
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Members of the Woman's National Farm and Garden Association, 1918
Although many Americans initially held concerns that women would not be successful at farming, units across the country were so productive that farmers often requested the same women to return to work for the following season.
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Members of the Unit of Woman's National Farm and Garden Association, 1918
Women who chose farm labor as their war work often had to leave families behind, as they stayed on the farms for the harvest season or longer. These women came from various backgrounds, ranging from college girls on summer break to married women with husbands overseas.
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Member of the Lancaster Unit of Woman's National Farm and Garden Association, 1918
Land workers performed a wide variety of duties at their individual farms, whether it was planting, harvesting, or caring for animals. This meant some women worked year-round, like those on dairy farms, while others dedicated portions of their time to seasonal farming.
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Woman's National Farm and Garden Association at Dedham Square Truck Market, 1918
The Woman's National Farm and Garden Association established roadside markets to sell local produce. These markets, usually located near farms that utilized land worker units, provided an easy way for consumers to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
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Members of the Gaston Unit of Woman's National Farm and Garden Association Harvesting Grain, 1918
Women who worked in wartime agriculture took pride in their service and pleasure in their work. Many women formed lasting friendships and some continued to work on farms even after the war had ended.
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