A demonstration farm, or model farm, is a farm which is used primarily to research or demonstrate various agricultural techniques, with any economic gains being an added bonus. Demonstration farms are often owned and operated by educational institution or government ministries. It is also common to rent land from a local farmer. The leaser is allowed to perform their demonstrations, while the land owner can be paid for the land usage or may be given the resulting crops. Many demonstration farms not only have crops, but may also have various types of livestock. Various techniques for feeding and bedding are tested on these farms. Demonstration farms run by universities are not only used for research, but are also used for teaching purposes. The

Ontario Agricultural College The Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) originated at the agricultural laboratories of the Toronto Normal School, and was officially founded in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto. Since 1964, it has become affili ...

operates a demonstration farm in which students take active participation in their classes. There has also been an expanding number of demonstration farms which are used to test various forms of renewable energy, primarily wind turbines and solar panels. Model farms became popular during the Industrial Age, providing education to urbanized populations and encouraging improved welfare standards for agricultural workers. Farm buildings were designed to be beautiful as well as utilitarian, inspired by the ideals of the enlightenment.

Hofwyl: early example of a model farm

In the nineteenth century, a combined effect of

population pressure Population pressure, a term summarizing the stress brought about by an excessive population density and its consequences, is used both in conjunction with human overpopulation and with other animal populations that suffer from too many individuals ...

and the scientific revolution drove Western Europe to consider a fundamental revolution in agricultural training and practice. A number of prominent European agricultural experts, including the agricultural secretary of Scotland and famous agriculturalist Arthur Young, argued for the creation of institutions dedicated to agricultural experimentation. One attempt to introduce scientific approach to agriculture was the formation of ‘model farms’ across Europe. These farms served as experimental models, in which to develop and experiment with husbandry practices and technology. One of the most well-reputed and long-lasting model farms was Hofwyl, an estate near the Swiss city of

Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , websit ...

. In 1799,

Philipp Emanuel von Fellenberg Philipp Emanuel von Fellenberg (27 June 1771 – 21 November 1844) was a Swiss educationalist and agronomist. Biography He was born at Bern. His father was of patrician family, and a man of importance in his canton, and his mother was a granddaug ...

purchased 250 acres of land and over the next forty years, created five establishments on his model farm, which he named Hofwyl. An agriculturist by trade and a moral reformer at heart, he sought to establish agricultural educational institutions dedicated to both scientific approach to agriculture and reconnecting individuals of all social classes to the land. His two most celebrated schools, the Scientific Educational Institution for the Higher Social Classes (1806) and the Poor School (1810) garnered attention and visitors from all over Europe and the United States. Through the establishment of an institution dedicated to the discipline of agricultural experimentation, improvement, and innovation, Fellenberg hoped to elevate his students’ minds and improve society in general. He divided his pupils between two aforementioned institutions: the sons of rich gentlemen and affluent landowners, and those of the poor and vagrants. The Scientific Educational Institution for the Higher Social Classes provided rigorous academic and practical training in scientific disciplines deemed useful in agricultural studies, such as mathematics, chemistry, and natural history, while the Poor school sought to instill its less fortunate students with skills and manual training necessary for agricultural operations. The former group followed a rigorous schedule from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., covering not only the theoretical aspects of studies, but also training in practical gardening and husbandry techniques and immersive work with local peasantry. The elite students were encouraged to undertake self-activities such as student government, and also shouldered the responsibility of experimenting with and maintaining their land plots.

List of demonstration farms

Central Experimental Farm The Central Experimental Farm (CEF), commonly known as the Experimental Farm, is an agricultural facility, working farm, and research centre of the Science and Technology Branch, formerly the Research Branch, of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. ...

, Ontario, Canada * District Livestock Farm (Hosur, India), India * University of Illinois Experimental Dairy Farm, Illinois, USA * Belle Fourche Experiment Farm, South Dakota, USA

In the arts

In the 1916 novel, ''Seventeen'', which takes place in a small city in the Midwestern United States (probably Indiana), a group of perhaps 15 teenagers takes a trolley ride to a model farm. There, they take a guided tour, then adjourn for a huge farm-style luncheon served by farm staff and made from the farm's produce. A dance followed. In this scenario, the model farm was adjacent to the city. The farm served meals to the general public, and functioned as an entertainment destination.

References

Bibliography

*Flagg, Maurice Irwin. ''Model farm houses''. St. Paul, Minn.: University of Minnesota, Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Extension Division, 1914. Print. *Haslam, R, 1991,''Leighton Hall Estate'', Powys, Country Life 116-9. *G.E. Mingay, ''The Victorian countryside, Volume 1'' (Routledge, 2000), p214 ff. *Robinson J M ''Georgian Model Farms: A Study of Decorative and Model Farm Buildings in the Age of Improvement 1700-1846''. Oxford 1983. *

Sarah Tarlow Sarah Tarlow is a British archaeologist and academic. As professor of historical archaeology at the University of Leicester, Tarlow is best known for her work on the archaeology of death and burial. In 2012, Tarlow was awarded the chair in archae ...

. ''The archaeology of improvement in Britain, 1750-1850'' (Cambridge University Press, 2007), p67 ff. *Wade-Martins S. ''Historic Farm Buildings'' Batsford, London 1991. *Wade-Martins S. 2002, ''The English Model Farm – Building the Agricultural Ideal, 1700-1914” English Heritage/Windgather Press. *Wade-Martins S. 2010, The model farms of the Victorian Countryside “The Victorian: The magazine of the Victorian Society”. Issue 34, 4–8 July 2010 *Wiliam E, 1986 Historical Farm Buildings of Wales, John Donald, Edinburgh

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