war years

Food was in short supply so UK farmers were hugely important to the war effort, keeping the country fed during these difficult years. As more and more food was needed, CWS expanded its farming business and by 1918 owned a total of 32,648 acres under the trade name CWS Agriculture.

Although horses were still the main power source, farming was becoming increasingly mechanised, and in 1917 CWS bought its very first tractor at Coldham. Labour levels were still huge by current standards, with whole villages occupied by farm workers and their families. During the Second World War, however, there was a labour shortage and women were required to work on the farms.