Radio Times: Review by:; Jane Rackham

Rationing and food shortages were beginning to hit everyone in 1940, even Britons who lived out in the countryside and could therefore forage for food. Livestock that ate the same sort of food as humans or yielded little meat were top of the farmer’s list for slaughter. So when Manor Farm’s sheep are sacrificed, Henry the lovely sheepdog is suddenly redundant...

Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn are preoccupied with making silage for the remaining livestock for most of this edition, while Ruth – sporting a range of natty headscarves and a permanent grin – is a very busy bee indeed. She cooks stew in a hay box, starts a pig club, preserves apples, practises thrift with the Women’s Institute and learns all about the black market.

About this programme

2/8. The experiment continues by re-creating the challenges faced by British farmers as the Second World War continued into 1940. Ruth Goodman discovers the impact of rationing on the country's kitchens, learns about the black market, and takes part in a canning drive with the Women's Institute. Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn try their hands at making silage, a practice designed to provide alternative food sources for livestock. They also explore the work of the Women's Land Army, and discover how a farmer helped put a stop to racial prejudice during Land Girl recruitment.