Balfour, Eve (1898–1990)

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Balfour, Eve (1898–1990)

British agriculturalist. Name variations: Evelyn Barbara Balfour; Lady Eve Balfour. Born Evelyn Barbara Balfour, July 16, 1898, in England; died Jan 16, 1990; dau. of Gerald William Balfour, 2nd earl of Balfour, and Elizabeth Edith Bulwer-Lytton (1867–1942), known as Betty Balfour; sister of Robert Arthur Lytton Balfour, 3rd earl of Balfour (1902–1968); graduate of University of Reading, one of the 1st women to study agriculture at a British university.

Responsible for launching organic movement in British farming, 1st trained girls in farm work with the Land Army (1918); purchased New Bells Farm at Haughley (1919) and began Haughley Experiment (1939), to compare organic and inorganic methods of farming; founded Soil Association (1946); made OBE (1990); writings include The Living Soil (1943) and 3 detective novels, of which Paper Chase (1927) was most successful.