BERKS, BUCKS AND OXON FARMERS LTD

This material is held atMuseum of English Rural Life

Reference
- GB 7 BBO
Dates of Creation
- 1930 - 1972
Name of Creator
- Berks, Bucks and Oxen Farmers Ltd
Language of Material
- English.
Physical Description
- 113 documents

Scope and Content

Consists of financial statements and reports 1930-1971; invoices for feedstuffs n.d.[1950's-1960's]; circular letter concerning purchase of Twyford Mill 1927; rule book 1918-1969; seed catalogues 1963-1972; leaflet produced by n.d.[1960's]; price lists for British Oil and Cake Mills Ltd 1964-1967; price lists for Cooperative Wholesale Society Ltd 1964; catalogues and price lists produced by Fisons, Lawes Chemical Co Ltd, Shell Chemical Co Ltd and Vitamealo (AFP) Ltd n.d.[1950's-1960's]; information circulars Farmers Bulletins 1960's; pamphlet commemorating the jubilee of the firm 1968

Administrative / Biographical History

Berks, Bucks and Oxon Farmers Ltd was registered as a co-operative under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act in July 1918, founded by a small group of farmers for the purpose of "carrying on trades, industries or businesses of manufacturers and producers" of dairy products. The society was further empowered to act as wholesale dealers in "agricultural requirements, dairy, farm and garden produce, eggs and poultry, and in any other class of goods the Committee may direct." As the business developed, its primary concern became the compounding of animal feeds and provender milling, combining this with the role of agricultural merchant.

Twyford Mill was purchased by the society in 1927 for use as a feeding stuffs mill and compounding centre (originally diesel and water powered until the conversion to electric power in the early 1960s). A grain drying storage unit was opened in Newbury in 1949, and the Eynsham (Oxon) depot was obtained in 1962, while the Twyford premises were expanded in 1968 by the construction of a 20,000 sq. ft. distribution warehouse.