Ryedale Folk Museum

As part of a reorganisation of our website and blogs we have moved the Gallery blog to a new address. Please visit www.thegalleryatryedalefolkmuseum.blogspot.com if you'd like to find out about our exhibitions for 2009 and the past programme. Andy Dalton Gallery Manager

As part of a reorganisation of our website and blogs we have moved the Gallery blog to a new address. Please visit www.thegalleryatryedalefolkmuseum.blogspot.com if you'd like to find out about our exhibitions for 2009 and the past programme. Andy Dalton Gallery Manager

As part of a reorganisation of our website and blogs we have moved the Gallery blog to a new address. Please visit www.thegalleryatryedalefolkmuseum.blogspot.com if you'd like to find out about our exhibitions for 2009 and the past programme. Andy Dalton Gallery Manager

On Friday 13th February we had a Ryedale Folk Museum Volunteers meeting. It was well supported, Mike gave us a briefing on the fund-raising for the Harrison Collection, we still have a long way to go. However, nothing is impossible and we will get there. If you are not a volunteer at the museum, have you considered becoming one? If not do you know someone who may be interested? The museum welcomes people with plenty of enthusiasm in all aspects of museum work. Restoration of farm machinery, archive work and helping in the shop are just some of the things you could be involved in. Don't be shy, give the museum a ring on: 01751 417 367, or email us at: info@ryedalefolkmuseum.co.uk

When Great Britain was at war in 1914-1918, and 1939-1945, food production was very important as the country faced the prospect of not being able to import food due to U-boats. Government intervention with War Agricultural Executive Committees or ‘War Ags’ as they became known, was vital if the country was to survive. The War Ags main purpose was to advise farmers on how to run their farms and ensure the government policy of ploughing up land was being upheld. If farms were not being farmed in an efficient manner the committees had the power to take over the running of it themselves. More positively however, the ‘War Ags’ did supply tractors machinery and labour to farms [8] . The Plough Up Policy, was unpopular with many farmers- the main objection raised was that Committees sometimes insisted that land unsuitable for growing arable crops was ploughed up. Another obstacle to the increase in production was the availability of labour, many young men had left the countryside to join Kitc...

This video from You Tube shows how ploughing was done before tractors became popular.