Baby Animal Days

            On Saturday, April 4^th I had the opportunity to attend Baby Animal Days at the American West Heritage Center and what an opportunity it was! As soon as we (my wife, our 3-year old, and myself) had bought our tickets, we were transported back to life on a farm during the late 1800s to early 1900s. This experience included a demonstration of an original table saw, a blacksmith shop, and a reenactment of a homestead, among many more things pertaining to farm life. And the best part; the baby animals! For only $25 for the family, it added up to a fantastic afternoon.

American West Heritage Center

Entering Baby Animal Days at AWHC

            Out of all of the attractions, I was most taken in by the homestead that offered a look into the way things used to be on a farm. “Back in those days most things took burning a lot of wood, and that’s exactly how we still do it here,” said Chance Getz, who was operating the original table saw. After filling us in he slipped us a few lengths of his fresh cut lumber and told us to trade them for a few cookies in the kitchen. Sure enough, when we got there two women in aprons and bonnets were hard at work, cooking snicker doodles over a wood-burning stove. We also learned at the homestead that many farms had another “summer” kitchen separate from the house. It was used during the summer due to the unimaginable heat one had to endure just to cook a meal. It was very educational to see people reenacting all the tasks dressed in the style of the period. It makes you appreciate all the comforts we have now!

The motor used to power one of the original table saws

            After getting our cookies we stopped by the blacksmith. There we saw a young man heating up metal until it was red hot and then pound it into a horseshoe. Something that seems so simple was quite a difficult chore back then. All of the people who worked and volunteered there did such a great job of teaching us about, and reenacting, early 20^th century farm life. After asking if they had to hire on a lot of help, Sarah Gunnell, an employee, informed me that although all of the American West Heritage Center’s regular employees work on the Baby Animal Days event, they still rely heavily on the help of volunteers in carrying it out. The organization did an incredible job of drawing dedicated and enthusiastic people to help put on this experience.

The homestead- the blacksmith can be seen on the left in the distance

            As far as the main attraction (all the baby animals) went, it was no less fun than the homestead portion of the farm. They had calves, colts, piglets, and even baby bears for us to pet. Kamden, our 3-year old, loved it! He couldn’t get enough of the little piglets. We were also able to hold some ducklings and chicks. All the little baby animals were definitely on of the great perks of life on the farm in those times. I further asked Sarah Gunnell if all of the baby animals were theirs, or if local farmers provided some, or all, of them. She replied, “We own most of the animals that are part of Baby Animal Days. We do borrow and purchase some animals from local farmers. Willow Park Zoo & Yellowstone Bear World provided animals for exhibit and then took them back home after the main event." It was obvious that they put a lot of work into giving everyone who attended the best experience they could.

Baby piglets

Holding the baby ducklings

            

           The whole day was so educational and even nostalgic at times. It had me longing for the days when life was so much simpler. However, all the hard work we saw displayed wasn’t nearly as appealing and gave us a lot more appreciation for those who came before us. Sarah Gunnell, whom I asked how large Baby Animal Days is for them relative to all of their other events, said that it was their largest and most successful event of the year. It’s easy to believe. The American West Heritage Center’s mission statement is to “create an educational and entertaining environment that inspires our patrons to live, learn, and celebrate the American West Heritage by exploring the diverse cultures that shaped the Cache Valley and surrounding region from 1820 to 1920” (Poppleton). Based on this, Baby Animal Days was a huge success and any wanting to have this experience should attend.

One of the original table saws

The baby horse

Additional Information

              Baby Animal Days is put on once a year around the beginning of spring at the American West Heritage Center. It is located at 4025 S. Hwy. 89-91 in Wellsville, Utah. Although Baby Animal Days is over, many more events take place throughout the year and can be found on their website, www.awhc.org.

         

My wife, Kamden, and I riding the train at Baby Animal Days

Many thanks to Chance Getz, Sarah Gunnell, the American West Heritage Center, and everyone involved in Baby Animal Days for giving us such a wonderful experience!

Sources:

Getz, Chance. Personal Interview. 4 April 2015.

Gunnell, Sarah. "Re: Baby Animal Days." Message to the author. 20 April 2015. E-mail.

Poppleton, Ethan. AWHC. American West Heritage Center, 2012. Web. 13 April 2015.

"Poor Boys Farm" Visual Rhetoric

Poor Boys Farm by Thomas Britt. 2005. USA. 13”x19,” Acrylic Paint.

Thomas Britt was raised and continues to live in rural Lafayette, Tennessee. He started painting at only seven years old while working on the farm with his grandfather. These early memories of being raised on the farm are his biggest influence and can be seen reflected in his art.

In this painting of Britt’s, his positive feelings toward farm life are instantly recognizable. Through the bright, but soft colors he is able to express the joy he found in his experiences working, fishing, and hunting with his family. The weather is portrayed as being very comfortable with a beautiful sunset just beginning to show. We see the tractors and farm equipment parked in the barn and someone is just returning from day working in the fields. As the boy returns, we see one of his dogs close to his side and can assume they spent the day together, while another waits excitedly for his master to return home.

The work conveys the warm atmosphere of a close-knit family who work together and spend their time together. The situation of sunset being close and those who were working returning home, seem to invite the assumption that the evening will be spent together, sharing the day’s details with one another. The clothesline and the old-style pickup truck also bring to mind that this painting takes place during “the good ol’ days” of America. Nostalgia permeates from Britt’s painting.

 Finally, after taking in the subject of the picture, it can be seen that beyond the small developed and cultivated fields surrounding the home, there is a rugged and untamed landscape. It would appear that this small family, with their young child (or children) has carved a life for themselves out of an undeveloped terrain. The title of this work, Poor Boys Farm, lends itself to the perception that life was not easy for these people. It was due to their hard work and ambition that they had ownership of their own small plot, and although they weren’t wealthy, they had something that was theirs.

One may derive from Thomas Britt’s painting that life on the farm is one to be cherished. Despite the many difficulties and challenges, there are many benefits to this way of life that far outweigh the negative aspects of it. The young boy spends his days in simple comforts unavailable to those who don’t live on the farm. Britt presents a very positive depiction of agriculture, and one that is accurate for many.

Sources:

Britt, Thomas. Poor Boys Farm. 2005. Karen’s Kollectibles. Shelby. Nebraska Antiques. Web. 25 March 2015.

“Thomas C. Britt Bio.” Nebraska Antiques. Karen Pandorf, n.d. Web. 25 March 2015.

"Shane" Film Review

Shane (1953)

Director: George Stevens

USA

Running Time: 118 minutes

Awards: 10 Oscars

Summary:

Shane takes place in post Civil War Wyoming and focuses on the difficulties faced by homesteaders, especially in the struggle between the farmers and free-range ranchers. Farmers were pitted against these ranchers due to their desire to cultivate and develop the land. By fencing off the portions given to them by the U.S. government in the Homestead Act, farmers got in the way of the ranchers who had run their cattle in the area on the open range for years before they showed up.

The film begins with Shane, a “gunslinger,” passing peacefully through the Starrett’s homestead. He is seeking to leave behind his past and start a new life. The family is suspicious of him and asks him to leave their property.

Shortly after the family’s encounter with Shane, the audience is introduced to the rising tensions between Rufus Ryker, the rancher, and Joe Starrett, the patriarch of a small family of homesteaders. Ryker and his men show up on the Starrett land, informing Joe that they will be seeking to drive them and the rest of the “pig farmers” out of the area so that they may return to grazing their cattle on the land. Starrett is unmoved by their threats and makes up his mind to never give up his family’s farm, stating that to remove him, they’ll have to do it with him “in a pine-wood box.” Shane decides to help the family in their conflict.

Later Shane accompanies the Starrett family and a group of the other homesteaders into town as Starrett’s hired man. As the group purchases supplies at the general store, Shane goes to the saloon. He is met with hostility from Ryker’s men and a fight soon breaks out. As Shane handles the first of the men, the rest soon join in. Starrett jumps in to help Shane against the overwhelming odds and Ryker and his men are defeated by them. As they leave Ryker promises, “From now on when we fight them, the air will be filled with gun smoke.”

Ryker calls in Wilson, a gunfighter from Cheyenne, to help with the troubles he faces from the homesteaders. He soon makes good on his promise of violence when Wilson kills one of the farmers, Stonewall Torrey, in town.

After the incident with Torrey many of the homesteaders decide to abandon their dreams of developing the frontier for agricultural purposes. They are soon revitalized in their purposes, however, when Joe Starrett gives a rousing speech at Torrey’s funeral, stating that they are raising families, not homesteads or cattle such as Ryker.

The violence from Ryker continues as he begins to burn homesteads. He tries to recruit Shane and Starrett to his cause and as his partners, but to no avail. He invites Starrett into town to meet at the saloon and talk about things. Starrett knows it’s a trap but decides to go anyway to shoot it out. Joe’s wife tries to stop him from going and is joined by Shane. Joe and Shane begin to fight and Joe is knocked out. Shane then goes to town in his place, followed by Joey, Joe’s young son who idolizes Shane.

Shane walks into the saloon to face Ryker and Wilson. A gun battle soon follows, in which Shane kills both Ryker and Wilson. Joey, who is watching from underneath the saloon door, warns Shane of one of Ryker’s men hiding. The final gunman is killed but not before he injures Shane.

After the fight, Shane realizes that he will never be able to change who he is and decides to leave the area in peace, telling Joey, “there are no more guns in the valley.” As he then rides away, Joey is left calling after him, “Shane! Shane, come back!”

Analysis:

Scratching a living out of the land on the frontier was no easy task. There was always work to be done. A feud with those who preferred the status quo on top of that made it nearly impossible. The struggle seen in the film was not consolidated to just Wyoming, but all throughout the western frontier. It seems that the perceived attitude held common toward farmers (such as described by Chaucer) (Kinkead, Funda, and McNeill, 43) was abandoned when survival and self-interest is at stake. Naturally, those who had acquired a good living off the wild and unsettled frontier, like Ryker, preferred the status quo when their interests were threatened by the “newcomers,” no matter the stability and development they brought with them. The rousing speech given by Starrett at the film’s climax represents this notion. He speaks of the homesteaders as the embodiment of Chaucer’s plowman. They’re struggles on the frontier were for the purpose of raising their families, whereas Ryker only sought out his own self-interest and prosperity. A deeper meaning in his words may be that he and his peers had the purpose of bringing stability and development to the region, that through them future generations would be set up for greater success. If the homesteaders overcame the problems they faced there would be no need for their offspring to struggle as they did. The wounded Shane riding away to leave “no more guns in the valley” illustrates this notion best. The frontier was slightly less wild and dangerous, and could be faced with greater certainty. Because of these early pioneers, people can enjoy the comforts of modern times without having to produce their own food from the land. Much is owed to them.

Sources:

Kinkead, Joyce, Evelyn Funda, and Lynne McNeill. Farm: A Multimodal Reader. Fountainhead Press, 2014.

Shane. Dir. George Stevens. Perf. Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin. Paramount Pictures, 1953. VHS.

Crop Insurance: Covering America

President Obama signed the Agriculture Act of 2014, or the Farm Bill, just over a year ago on February 7. It contained some very important legislation to farmers and the citizens who rely on their produce. As crop insurance agent, Elvin Anderson, put it, “Had we not had that safety net, it might be difficult for you to walk to the supermarket and pick up that loaf of bread.” That “safety net” he refers to is crop insurance.

            Before the significance of the crop insurance portion of the bill can be understood, crop insurance itself should be briefly described. Crop insurance protects farmers from the loss of revenue from the destruction of their crops due to natural disasters, disease, or wildlife. It also protects from a decline in price.  It uses the projected worth of commodities to create a fair price that farmers may purchase policies at to hold that price for their crops. If, for any approved reason, those crops should lose that value, the farmers will be compensated for the loss (Langstraat).

            This new “farm bill” provided many changes to the crop insurance program, which the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) claimed “strengthens crop insurance by providing more risk management options for farmers and ranchers and by making crop insurance more affordable for beginning farmers.” To do this, the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and the Agriculture Risk Protection (ARC) programs were implemented. The programs are meant to supplement private insurance policies to protect farmers when a price drop is experienced for multiple years. They are also meant to help the farmer meet the deductible of their crop insurance. Along with the two new programs, many more products were added to the list of covered crops. As the main factor in the “safety net,” it is important for crop insurance to cover a variety of farms and farmers (Langstraat).

            To assist in the wide range of coverage required by the diversity of agriculture in the U.S., the Whole-Farm Policy was also introduced in 2014. It is meant to more effectively cover highly diversified farms and farms selling 3-5 commodities to wholesale markets under one policy. By purchasing this policy, a farmer may now cover all of the crops on their farm, including specialty crops (United States Department of Agriculture). This allows for even more coverage to be extended to farmers.

            It is seen how important agriculture is to America through the extensive legislation that goes into protecting the industry. The population relies on farmers. In turn the population goes to great lengths to keep them in business.

Sources:

Langstraat, Laurie. “Just the Facts.” Crop Insurance Keeps America Growing. National Crop Insurance Services, n.d. Web. 1 March 2015.

United States Department of Agriculture. Risk Management Agency. USDA, April 2014. Web. 1 March 2015.

Analysis of Alan Lomax's "The Land Where the Blues Began"

When seeking to gain a greater appreciation for farming in literature, the time of sharecroppers and tenant farmers is important to look at. For them, life was the farm. They lived and died with their crops. They depended on the land to give them everything it could because that was all they got. Lucky for anyone who seeks a deeper insight into the life of one of these sharecroppers, their feelings and experiences live on through their folklore. One such example is Alan Lomax’s The Land Where the Blues Began.

            In his book, Lomax explores the importance of the blues to farmers of that time in those bleak situations. He states how the blues are the anthem for those victims of anomie and isolation, those who became more of a commodity than a human. Lomax would know. He came from a family of sharecroppers and in the 1930’s, when tenant farming was becoming a thing of the past little by little; he and his father took to recording these old blues songs as they were sung from the mouths of those who they represented. He was a student of the victims of that time and learned some of life’s greatest lessons from the people he met. Citing one sharecropper’s song, “Now listen here, Mr. President, I want you to know they’re not treatin’ us right down here…” he shares where he learned the importance of the New Deal program and how powerful a group can be in getting things done in Washington, when they have a united voice.

            What Lomax did was no small task. It wasn’t of small significance either. Carrying around their 500-pound recorder, he and his father captured these farmers’ songs in their fields as they worked. With these recordings came the “complex polyphony of the blacks, which notation could not represent.” He also captured a neglected culture and gave us an incredible look into their perspective.

            Perhaps the most amazing thing we gain from all of his recordings is that we can hear an exact copy of what those people were singing. Many of these songs have evolved overtime, and the same song could be incredibly different from one field to the next. Just as the sharecropper’s verse previously cited, which spoke to the President of the U.S., their songs were a representation of the struggles and feelings of the time they were in. To try to hear these songs now from descendants would be impossible. Lomax made it a possibility to hear it “straight out of the horse’s mouth,” and the value of that cannot be underestimated.

            There is much we can learn from the past. Just as an almanac provides us with imperative information learned by those who came before us, the folklore of these times also bring a wealth of knowledge. We need to understand the damage we can do to others through unfair practices if we are to be successful. Any long-lasting business model must be fair to all parties and it is the same with farming. The tenant-farming model proved this with its collapse.

Sources:

Lomax, Alan. The Land Where the Blues Began. New York: Delta, 1993. Print.

Photograph: John Vachon, Office of War Information. Library of Congress Photographs and Prints, LC-USF34- 014000-Ef