Cabbage

It is perhaps hard to believe in 2026 as you drive through the fields of the Fens and see cabbage grown, harvested, or the remains of a cropped field being grazed by farting sheep that throughout the first half of the twentieth century the primary view of this crop was as winter forage for livestock in British agriculture, hence we see this published in 1905:

“There are few crops of greater value to the stock-owning farmer in dry weather and the only one to withstand frost to be used as forage.”[1]

This is in contrast to America where cabbage was grown at a large scale for human consumption as early as 1886:

“The most extensive cabbage farm in the world is near Chicago. It consists of 190 acres in the ‘cabbage district’ as it is called which comprises 2500 acres of rich, heavy soil, especially adapted to cabbage culture. It requires 1,114,000 plants to set the 190 acres, and counting those used in resetting, 30,000,000 for the whole district under cultivation. The bulk of the crop is sent south in box cars to supply a demand which exists after the consumption of the southern crop, which, owing to the climate. Cannot be stored for future use.”[2]

The stimulus for this massive growth in American agriculture leaving Britisch cabbage growing in the shade is in part due to the economic stimulus provided by the rapidly growing cities in the US combined with the Civil War. The American Civil war accelerated the use of railways to cover large distances for economic and military use. At the same time military spending stimulated the growth of industry and agriculture. Chicago developed as a major meat processing hub with livestock processed at a scale possibly never seen before. The location of this was in part created by diversion of rail to feed Union armies, although much debate is had over this. By 1865 the meat trade and the the rail network was well established and used in Chicago. That cabbage growing established in this area was due to that established transport network, the appropriate soil, and the availability of manure from livestock. As a large and rapidly growing country the market and resources were there. It would be almost a century later before we saw a similarly efficient distribution network establish in the UK as supermarkets with their vast distribution ability became established in the 1970’s.[3]

In much of Britain the typical farm was no more than 30 acres, although there were exceptions with the farm size in the Lincolnshire Fens being typically 100-150 acres and in the Lincolnshire Wolds between 500 and 1000 acres. Cabbages were grown, largely for livestock with the market for human consumption in towns and cities served primarily by small scale horticulturists, market gardeners and allotments. In the Fens the culture of the cottager, an independent farm worker, largely self-reliant that lived off a combination of what was available in the environment and his own cottage garden, or growing smallholding was well suited to adapt and exploit this growing market. Thus you see market gardener’s establish cabbage growing and seed collecting on a small, but efficient scale. An English culture of smallness worked well in the Fens alongside the larger farms. Thus you see market gardeners and small holders growing cabbage plants to supply farmers as well as other growers and allotment holders. They also developed seed businesses, that was at that time labour intensive and tied up land use over a two year cycle. Thus we see a growth of cabbages advertised as available for sale from 10,000 to 25,000 advertised by Mr. Allgood of Mareham le Fen. He appeared to have a particularly successful plant in 1926: “Mr Allgood of ‘Birkwood’ Mareham-le-Fen, market gardener, has grown a monster cabbage on his farm which weighed 16 pounds, and measures 72 inches in circumference.”

Surprisingly WW1 did not stimulate the growth of cabbages to move towards human consumption being served at scale, but rather remained with the market garden and allotments being the primary supplier of cabbage to the consumer. Indeed in the South Holland region of the Fens the pressure was for more livestock and cattle to be reared and a restoration of grass on fields that had not had livestock for decades. Farmers in South Lincolnshire resisted this on grounds that an increase livestock required more manpower that was in short supply. If you look at aerial photographs of the areas around London in the 1920’s you realise how established small farms and market gardens were on areas now totally covered by urbanisation. As cities grew the loss of market gardens would see the gap gradually filled by Britain’s very own cabbage growing areas being developed primarily in Lancashire, Lincolnshire and near Peterborough. By 1931 the Garden Plant Growing Co near Peterborough was reported to be the country’s largest supplier of cabbage plants, a claim that possibly sits with Fountain Plants near Boston today.

In the Fens the area around Boston started to grow cabbage for consumption. The increased availability of road transport linking farms to nearby railway enabled cabbages to be harvested and be available in a large town or city in the Midlands or elsewhere within two days. Thus we see increasing amounts of cabbage grown, not just for forage, but for human consumption in the lands around Boston. By the time of the General Strike in 1926 we see Mr. E. Cooper[4], potato and vegetable grower and merchant able to supply Leeds, Sheffield and London with potatoes and cabbage by road to circumvent the rail strike, a feat that would not have been possible twenty years before. Although I would not fancy driving a lorry with solid tyres from Butterwick in Lincolnshire to Leeds before the days of powered steering at little more than 20 mph!

Perhaps a sign of the nature of agriculture falling behind in technology is illustrated by an early demonstration of a cabbage planting machine at the Agricultural Institute Farm in Kirton near Boston in October 1932: “….the machine planted the cabbage plants better than could have been done by hand. The machine worked very slowly in the morning, but after lunch, when both horses and men had become used to it, it planted easily at the rate of 7000 plants per hour, at a distance of 1ft 6in. and 1ft 3in.

The machine consists of an endless chain on to which are attached clips, which grip the plant, turning it root downwards, and releasing it at the proper time into the soil. These clips move along on a flat surface in front  of the men feeding the machine, who place the plants into them. The clips are automatically opened as they pass the feeders, and close as they descend downwards to place the plants into the soil. At the demonstration of Friday, four men were required to feed the machine, but with practice it is thought that two men or two girls could do the work. Two feeders would certainly be ample for the planting of cauliflower or brussel sprouts, which are planted much wider apart.

It is stated that the machine can be hauled on certain light soils by one horse, but the work proved very heavy for two horses at the Kirton demonstration. The machine would be easily controlled and worked better if drawn by a light tractor.”[5]

This illustrates a key problem that new technology was being applied with old methods, in this case horse drawn machinery. Because of its long history it is perhaps a feature of British agriculture that technology is applied in overlapping layers of old technology to a far greater extent than in some countries. Farms at larger scale are less prone to this overlapping of old and new. It is interesting to note that in 1950 it was still possible to find a Fenland Farm using horses, steam traction engines and modern diesel tractors.

The outbreak of World War 2, with a government mindful of the shortages of  food caused by GermanU-Boats in the first War saw farmers in the Fens asked to grow more vegetables and only allowed to use them for animal feed with the approval of the local Agricultural Executive Committee. This was a significant issue in 1942 when the Ministry of Food released dried peas and tinned vegetables into the market as spring cabbage was due to be cropped leaving Mr. F. Pitcher, merchant and grower in Wrangle near Boston, with 150 acres of cabbage that it was impossible to market. He was then not permitted to plough in the crop, but had to leave it standing in the field for three weeks, thus preventing a follow-on crop. It is perhaps typical that food growing decisions when made at distance without heeding the advice of the local farmer can create greater waste and inefficiency.

The 1930’s saw a growth in glass houses, indeed the early days of the Geest family in the area saw them importing glass houses from Holland. This enabled greater productivity of nursery plants to feed the agricultural market. Into the 1960’s the ability to produce reliable wide polythene saw the establishment of polytunnels on land throughout the Fens. Nursery businesses expanded, but were heavily reliant on labour with seeds sown directly by hand into ground beneath the glass or tunnel and watering also done by hand. By the late 1970’s plant growing was benefitting from irrigation systems, aluminium framed glass, better climate and light control develop greater productivity which continued into the 21^st Century. Thus we see relatively small sites of less than 50 acres providing a nationally significant number of plants with Fountain Plants at Hubbert’s Bridge being a Fenland  example of such success.

There is one particular issue that held back the packing and processing of all vegetables in Britain and that was the relatively late adoption of an available electric supply especially in rural areas like the Fens until 1952. Nowadays the modern cold store for storing, packing and processing vegetables is taken for granted. Although a farmer could set up a refrigerated cold store in 1900 it is a fact that most of the time this would have to be powered by a steam or static diesel engine. America was way ahead on this with refrigerated storage seen used in vegetable storage, processing and packing almost 70 years ahead of Britain. The rebuilding of post War Europe saw much of the continent ahead of Britain. It is perhaps very British in nature that although a body was put in place  in 1919 to ensure the establishment of generation and distribution of electricity it was given little or no power to enforce the infrastructure required. Thus a piecemeal structure of local electricity boards became established usually under local authority control. As we emerged from the energy crisis of the 1970’s we saw the growth of farmer owned cold stores and pack houses. Increasingly cabbage, along with other vegetables was not just a product for the consumer to eat, but was being supplied as an ingredient to the growing food packing and processing industry in the area.

Thus today the cabbage is a significant crop grown in the Fens. However, perhaps the single-most threat is affordable labour to the grower.

When a farmer grows a cabbage he takes the risk of it growing to maturity, and then being able to sell it at a high enough price to make a profit. In the case of cabbage it can often be harvested in 70 days, so if the crop fails or is not selling the ability to recoup with a following crop may be possible. But by 1994 Roger Welberry, sometimes described as the “sprout king” delivered the stark fact that “for 29 per cent of net farm incomes for vegetables there was a nil return”.  It is a case that the ability for the industry to continue  there was a reliance upon cheap part-time labour  that did not develop entitlements by continued employment. Seasonal migration from other countries helped this. But, here is a question of our time: Is a food system that is reliant upon cheaper labour  socially sustainable? The simple fact is that the sustainability of British farming has been reliant on cheap Labour throughout the Industrial Age whether it be children, women or migrants. Over time each of these resources gets exhausted as each generation seeks better standards of health, welfare, income and living.

[1] The Farmer’s Gazette 20^th May 1905

[2] Lytham Times 6^th January 1886

[3] Supermarkets were open before this time but not at scale

[4] Boston Standard May 22 1926

[5] Louth Standard 1^st October 1932