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Homestead Video History
Videos for Homesteaders!
We as a nation have a rich history of agriculture. Over the years there have been many short films and videos that hold great interest for anyone interested in farming or our food system.
The films below were of great interest to me and I feel have a lot of information that most modern homesteaders could benefit from. Many of these films illustrate well the history and mindset of modern agriculture. Some ideas that are put forward in these films need to be revisited and others need to be more thoroughly understood in order to change things for the future.
Below you will find several clickable links. I will give you a brief summary before each one to help you better choose the ones you want to see most. I will be adding titles as I can, so check back often!
You can scroll down to read about them and view, or go directly to the video of your choice by clicking the menu below.
I hope you enjoy our selections!
Victory Gardens (1943 approx)
Victory Gardens - which are also called a war gardens - produced vegetables, fruit and herbs and were planted by common people as part of the war effort.
The first war garden campaign was launched in 1917 during World War I by the US government. By encouraging every capable person to garden it was hoped that the population could provide much their own fruits, vegetables and even poultry and eggs. Due to the Victory Garden movement citizens were able to significantly reduce pressure on the public food supply which was brought on by the war effort. Without such gardens severe shortages of food would have occurred in the United States, much like they did in Europe.
There was so much success with the garden program during the first war, it was also very highly promoted during World War II. Films such as the one below encouraged beginners to take up their patriotic duty and educated them on the process (which in those days included lots of chemicals) as well.
Millions of Americans answered the call to Victory Garden! They planted gardens in backyards, empty lots and even on rooftops in the city. In America we are once again facing a time of crisis. World events and even home finances are threatening our food supply. Perhaps we need to rally to the cause and again take up Victory Gardening today.
Poultry on the Farm (1937)
A beginners look at chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys in a traditional farm setting. Particularly good for children.
The Chicken of Tomorrow (1948)
While the chicken has been huge in commercial agricultural for many, many years, the main emphasis was on raising eggs. Chicken meat was merely a by product! While chicken has been eaten regularly on the farm for much of history, chicken was seldom consumed as a commercial meat before WWII. During the war red meat, like beef, lamb and pork, was in very short supply, so more city folk than ever were eating chicken. The stores finally had a ready market for that extra chicken meat and they did not want to lose it.
This short video documents a historical $10,000 contest sponsored by A & P Grocery stores that began in 1946 and finishing in 1948. The purpose of the contest was to encouraged farmers to produce a more meaty and thus commercially appealing breed of chicken. Before this contest chickens were raised commercially only for egg production and their bodies were very small and bony, much like the classic rubber chicken!
Before this contest the meat chicken we see at the grocery store today was only a ideal to be achieved and only able to be represented by a wax model! Truly this was history in the making!
Protecting Poultry Profits Pt 1 (1952)
This educational film is notably produced by Merck & Co. Inc., one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The entire purpose of this film was to promote their medications. Instead of only using a medication to treat an illness, these filmmakers are promoting their medication to be fed to healthy poultry as well, as a preventative measure. My, my 1952 and how things are already changing in the world of raising poultry! The film provides its data in such a way as to prove that the cost of their medication will work for the farmer by producing more profits. Profits that he would be foolish to lose.
The disease that is featured in this film is coccidiosis, a disease that does occasionally cause a certain amount of loss in young poultry flocks. There is some good disease information about coccidiosis included in the film. The medication touted by Merck in the film is a coccidiostat. Coccidiostats are regularly found today as one of the ingredients in medicated chicken feed. Guess the film worked.
Good poultry management practices are also discussed, including cleanliness and safe poultry stocking which in this time period was "a foot of floor space per bird". A far cry from the 8 square inches that modern birds are allowed. Also note that the birds in the film are primarily floor raised on a deep litter system. This system is still recommended as the best way to build up natural immunity in a poultry flock.
Protecting Poultry Profits Pt 2 (1952)
My, my how things are already changing in the world of raising poultry!
Henry Browne, Farmer (1942)
Wonderful video about a patriotic farmer in the south!
This was a time of great changes in American farming. Some were farming with tractors, but many were still farming with mules and horses. Henry Browne farms his 40 acres with mules. The "going to town" scene is amazing to me.
Singing Wires (1951)
The electrification of the typical rural farm changes everything!
The first major leap into modern times begins with electricity. Something we all take totally for granted these days. Back in the day getting electricity to the typical rural was a huge decision and a big change in their lives.
Triple Goodness (1948)
The mechanization on the modern dairy begins!
Bossy the cow and Foremost dairy tell you how a modern dairy produces a product with "Triple Goodness".
Uncle Jim's Dairy Farm (1963)
Some city children get to spend time with their uncle and his family on their dairy farm.
Back in the day when cows were still grazing on pasture with the sun on their backs. Lots of nostalgia here.
Truly this was history in the making!
These films are available thanks to the Prelinger Archives, which was founded in 1983 by Rick Prelinger in New York City. Because of this archive we now have access to a wonderful collection of historically or culturally significant motion pictures, and other documents. These works were originally commissioned by businesses, charities, advocacy groups, and state or local government units between 1897 and 1980 and are available for public access at Archive.org Thanks so much!
More Coming Soon!!