15 Ate Today? Thank a Farmer. Better Farming | January 2024 The Farmerettes, also known as the Farm Service Force, were created in 1941 to fill the demand for farm labour created by the Second World War. These women worked in the fields and processing factories, producing the food that fueled the war effort. Bonnie Sitter of South Huron has been speaking with past Farmerettes and sharing their stories since 2018. And her work is now creating renewed awareness of their vital, historical role. “Men in farm labour were leaving and enlisting for service, and the farmers were at a loss for how the farm labour force would be able to produce food,” Sitter says. The initiative was made up of girls between 16 and 18 years old who worked in the fields during their summer breaks. The Farmerettes recruited more than 30,000 young women to work on farms between 1941 and 1952. Many of them still reminisce on those summers as the best of their lives. The work The majority of the Farmerettes worked on fruit and vegetable farms, growing onions, peaches, cherries, tomatoes, and many other fresh foods. Some Farmerettes also worked in canning facilities or helped process mint that was grown in the fields. “The girls were not only known as Farmerettes, but sometimes they were also known as ‘camp girls’ or ‘soldiers in bib overalls,’” says Sitter, who spoke with us during a break from several related projects currently underway – a documentary film, a stage play, and a potential postage stamp – which will complement a previously published book. “They worked with pretty much every vegetable and fruit that could be grown in Ontario. Some girls left school in April to work in the greenhouses, getting seedlings started, and transplanting after that. Some girls stayed two weeks after the camps had closed and boarded with farmers so they could help finish the harvest.” These extended weeks of work were a potential incentive for the girls to join the Famerettes. If their grades were high enough, they could leave school early for the year, still receiving their course credits without completing exams. The farmers were responsible for paying wages for the Farmerettes. The girls were typically paid 25 cents an hour, which was standard pay for farm labour at the time. “The farmers started out thinking it was a poor idea, having women doing the farm labour, but what else could they do, and they accepted it,” says Sitter. “After the first few weeks, once the girls got used to the demands of the physical labour, they really worked as a team and tackled the job and got it done. “They worked hard but then they had fun. The camaraderie set in.” Sitter tells Better Farming that she believes that the Farm Service Force changed how women were seen on farms, creating more acceptance around their involvement. This acceptance grew as many of the women enjoyed the work enough that they returned for multiple summers. “I haven’t met anyone who said they wouldn’t do it again if they could go back. Most Farmerettes that I’ve spoken with say it’s a summer they’ve never forgotten, and that at the end of the season they were in tears leaving their friends,” says Sitter, noting that after the war, opportunities for men to learn trades and attend college extended the duration of the farm labour shortage. “Seven years after the war ended, they were still replacing male labour on the farm and that’s just not something women did before the Farmerettes.” Camp life During their time working on the farms, most Farmerettes lived in camps. Often the camps were dorm style, with shared sleeping spaces, a recreation space, and outdoor washrooms. Some other camps had the girls sleep in tents. Farmerettes Bonnie Sitter holding the Farmerettes photo which inspired her research. Photo courtesy of Bonnie Sitter
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