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Farming the Past

I'm a lover of all things Victorian, so when Maria recommended a BBC series called Victorian Farm some years ago I jumped right on watching it. That's how I fell in love with the trio of Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginns and Alex Langlands, a historian and two archaeologists who chose to live as Victorian farmers for a full calendar year on a Victorian-era farm. They must grow crops, rear livestock and attend to all the necessities of life without electricity, running water or indoor plumbing.

It's absolutely fascinating to see three modern and very knowledgeable people manage living in conditions that take life backward 150 years, but they do a grand job of it.

That wonderful viewing experience prompted me to watch Edwardian Farm, which reunites the trio to live as farmers did in the Edwardian age at the turn of the last century. I can't imagine spending a year of life doing such hard work, but they seem to enjoy the challenges. In this series you see innovations and technology gradually taking over rural life, but it's still very much a day-to-day struggle.

Finally the three reunite again for the series Wartime Farm, which show what farmers had to cope with when England entered WWII. Government taking control of farms, trying to meet the ordered increased productions, rationing, the blitz, and even covert military operations make it even harder to survive, much less thrive. It's a wonderful glimpse of a side of the great war that few often see.

All of these series are currently available on Tubi, where you can watch them for free. I'm slowly working my way through each series every night so I can revisit my three favorite UK farmers. Highly recommended.

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