Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The Middlesex County Council owned over 1,346 acres of agricultural land which was let to 400 tenants over the course of the Council's existence. The holdings varied in size from just over half and acre to 75 acres. With few exceptions the smaller holdings produced fruit and vegetables, pigs, poultry and eggs, whilst the larger holdings are used for dairy farming. Smallholdings were regarded as essential to the health of the industry, forming a 'ladder' for skilled agricultural workers, frequently leading to the occupation of larger farms outside the scheme.
All possible assistance and encouragement was given to the tenants in order to enable them to become successful smallholders, in return for which a high standard of production was required. Regulations were made by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries governing the selection of tenants. These regulations provided that preference must be given to agricultural workers with at least five years experience and that tenancies had to be granted to applicants between the ages of 25 and 50.