Leisure Time

“Good Meals – Good Pay – Good Fun”

Farmerettes had weekends and evenings off. In the evenings the girls might go see a movie in a town like Forest. Other activities were knitting sweaters for soldiers, writing letters home, or playing Bridge. Dances and shows were sometimes held at the camps where girls sang, played music, or performed skits. Some camps also had softball teams.

On most nights there was a strict curfew and “lights out” was at 10pm, though a few mischievous girls were known to sneak out. Once or twice a week they were allowed out until 11pm. Unlike today, it was a common occurrence for girls to hitchhike but the rule was to always go in a group.

On weekends they would visit nearby towns, cities, and beaches. Some places they visited were Detroit, Port Huron, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Grand Bend, Ipperwash Beach, and Camp Ipperwash. On their trips they would attend dances, visit family, shop, go on dates, or swim.

The Harvester

The Harvester was a magazine put out by the Ontario Farm Service Force. Here you can read some articles written by Farmerettes from across Ontario. This issue contains an image and article from Forest Camp.

Camp Songs

Each Farmerette camp came up with their own song. Thedford Camp’s song centers around working in the onion fields located on the Thedford bog.

The Farmerette Crawl - Camp Thedford's Song

(Tune: South American Way)

Ai Ai Ai Ai have you ever weeded any onions 

In that achy breaky-like, kind of snaky-like

Thedford Farmerette Crawl!

Ai Ai Ai Ai have you ever done any weeding

You crawl along the bog, like a bloomin' frog,

Doing the Farmerette Crawl!

The Thedford onion rows

They make you hold your nose,

The Thedford onion rows

Get in your hair

They stretch in front of you

A weedy mile or two

The Thedford onion rows

They're everywhere.