“Horse and Buggy Days,” by Paul Detlefsen, once was one of many popular paintings created by the artist. Detlefsen, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1899. His work became popular throughout the US for his bright, down home, country themes. While working in Hollywood on backdrops, he was awarded an academy award for Best Visual Scene. (Paul Detlefsen Biography, Web) Although all the oil paintings he created seemed very realistic, they were all created fictionally. “Horse and Buggy Days,” has many sizes of prints available, but the original version was an oil painting on canvas, and was approximately 36 inches by 48 inches.
Detlefsen, became a successful artist during some of the hardest periods of our country’s history. His paintings swept the nation during the Great Depression, WWII, and the Korean War. The reason behind this can only be made by assumptions, but when looking at his art work, you find yourself feeling as if you are back in a simple way of life, safe from all the troubles of the world. In his painting, “Horse and Buggy Days,” this is particularly true. A simple buggy lay where it was unhitched while a blacksmith fixes the horse’s shoe. A young boy, barefoot, and in in overalls, stands and observes the process. In a time when our country was at its worst, Paul Detlefsen, created tranquility. He painted scenes with bright colors, deep greens and captured the image of a time when the country only had concerns of everyday, normal life. He did not focus on the war torn country, the devastation of the depression, or families struggling to make ends meet. Life during those times seemed dark and melancholy, but Paul Detlefsen, added the much needed vibrant color of life to a hard period of time.
With our current studies of the hardships behind farming, and the depression, World Wars, and other such experiences, Paul Detlefsen, through his artwork, allowed his viewers to be swept back in time to a life without the heartaches of war, drought, and depression. There are no haunting images, and no source of modern distractions. The people portayed in the painting, are doing what they love. They are not weary with troubled thoughts, war, or lack of necessities. They are a people that are living a life of happiness by working with their hands and enjoying God’s creations. When times get rough, it is the people who become content with what they have that are the most successful in finding happiness.
Mason, Forrest. "Horse & Buggy Days" Photograph. Webshots. Examiner.com, 15 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
Unknown. "Paul Detlefsen Biography." Paul Detlefsen Biography. 2015. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
Farmland (2014)
Director: James Moll
USA
Running Time: 77 minutes
Awards: Nominated for Cleveland International Film Festival-Official Selection, Atlanta Film Festival-2014 Official Selection, Nashville Film Festival-Official Selection.
The United States of America was founded by farmers and ranchers on July 4, 1776. In the initial years of the United States, most of the population was involved with agriculture. Food was grown primarily by families, and ate by those cultivating individuals. As technology has progressed, and society has become less dependable on their own gardens to survive, we have a society that is far removed from the reality of where their food comes from. Farmland, follows the lives of six farmers and ranchers and uncovers the truth about where the consumers’ food comes from, and the facts behind organic and commercial farms.
Director James Moll, traveled across the country to meet six young farmers and ranchers who are in their twenties, to unveil the next generation of farmers and ranchers. From Pennsylvania to California, Texas to Minnesota, and Georgia to Nebraska, Farmland, takes us into every aspect of our most common foods. The cinematography artistically captures the distinct features of each season and the machinery used at each operation. All of the farms documented, are in the heartland of farming communities. Surrounded by fields of crops and range land, away from all city life. A typical misconception about farms is that of the red barn, chickens, a few hogs and cattle and the pitch fork wielding man and woman. This myth is dispelled within the first few minutes of the film by the sweeping camera views of the shops, barns, and houses on each operation.
There are two general kinds of farmers and ranchers; Commercial Growers and Organic Growers. Commercial growers, are under a lot of pressure from the media on what should and shouldn’t be used on crops. The use of Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO’s, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers are used on commercial grounds. While the media has constantly put a negative light on GMOs, the truth behind them is that farmers are able to produce more crops on less ground, with less resources such as water, and fertilizers. David Loberg, a corn and soybean grower in Carroll Nebraska, describes how the use of GMOs, has drastically reduced the amount of herbicides and pesticides his farm uses. Now, because of the new varieties of plants that are genetically modified, he is able to use less chemicals on his grounds. Another point illustrated, is how pesticides and herbicides work. Used early on in plant growth, pesticides and herbicides are more affective. The microbes in the soil then breaks down the chemical structure of the sprays. By the time the crop is ready to harvest, all traces of the sprays are gone. There is no chemical residue on the produce that we receive from the grocery store, which comes from a farmers’ field. The United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, also has a very strict testing cycle that insures all the produce and meat in the USA, is chemical free.
Organic farmers, do not use any sort of pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides on their crops. Fertilizers must be all natural, meaning that they are not processed. Such as manures and soil conditioners. What the biggest struggle for organic farmers are, is weeds and pest control. Because no chemicals can be used, organic crop fields have problems with being over ran with weeds and being contaminated with pests. Sutton Morgan, an organic produce farmer in Brawley California, has a hard time getting water to his crops through the weeds. While some would simple say to pull weeds, it becomes an impossible task on 750 acres. Sutton, says the way his farm can stay afloat is by hitting niche markets in the organic industry. Because there is such a high demand for organic, and not as high of yields of crops from organic farms, the price for organic products is high. This allows for organic farmers such as Sutton Morgan, to keep his farm from falling too far into debt.
When it comes to meat, Leighton Cooley, from Roberta Georgia, a chicken farmer, pointed out how false information from the media can send the public into false misconceptions. It is federal law, that chickens cannot be fed or injected with artificial growth hormones or steroids. But because society was so concerned and misinformed about chicken farms, a company started labeling their chicken products as “Artificial Hormone Free,” and made millions, when in fact, all chicken in the US, are hormone free. Brad Bellah, from Throckmorton Texas, raises All Natural Cattle. This means that if a cow gets sick, it is separated from the All Natural herd, and put into the commercial herd. All natural cannot receive any type of antibiotics. However, even commercial cattle, are not slaughtered until all traces of medications have left their systems. What each producer stressed, is that the consumer is very uneducated when it comes to their food. They have not been told the truths, and are not finding the truths by themselves. The consumers have been told falsehoods, or seen falsehoods through videos posted on the internet. Each of the farmers documented, expressed how animals deserve to be respected and how they are living creatures. Anyone who mistreats an animal, is not a normal human being. David Loberg, explained it best, “They are not mentally stable human beings. They have no compassion for life.” Ranchers and farmers depend on the health of their animals. Mistreatment of their chickens, hogs, cattle or any animal, is not the mentality of the majority of farmers.
The hardships behind farming comes from more than one source. The reason young farmers and ranchers have such a hard beginning stems from the facts that farmland is decreasing every day. David Loberg, stated “Since the depression, farms have been consolidating. There are less farmers than there originally was, which means there are less farms to come home too.” When the depression hit, there was too much product in the market, and not enough money to keep the economy going. The government then started implementing the consolidating of farms. Generational farmers, have either expanded their farms and business to become a larger operation, or they have sold off their farms to such larger farms. It is hard to find “homestead” parcels as there once was in the USA. Another obstacle is the way our tax system is set up. Because of the increase in land value, and the high taxes on the land, an individual desiring to own a farm has major financial difficulties to overcome. Whether it is paying off loans, or praying that the first few years of crops will be sufficient to make the tax payment. Farming is becoming a lost art to those who are not already a generational farmer.
In conclusion, farming is largely under false precepts. Society listens to one source of information and takes it as truth. Genetically modified organisms have allowed farmers to decrease the amount of pesticides and herbicides used on the land. Organic farmers have a hard time producing high enough yields of crops as commercial growers. The videos of animal cruelty circulating the internet, is not what all farmers do. At the end of the film, it shows each of the farmers on their land, and the work they have put into it. Demonstrating that it is not an easy task to make a living in a society that is constantly being led against them by false information
