Narrated by Frank Graven and directed by Edgar Peterson II, “Harvests for Tomorrow” (1941) is a black-and-white public service film made by the Agricultural Adjustment Administration of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that encourages farmers to use limestone and phosphate treatments to achieve healthy soil. It’s somewhat typical of films made in the post-Dust Bowl era, in that it attempts to educate farmers about proper techniques of farm management to prevent erosion and depletion of soil quality. Featuring music played by the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Alden Finckel, the film tells the timeless story of New England farmers who have tended to the land since the time of the Pilgrims. Due to over-farming, the fields that have been farmed for many years are no longer fruitful and are causing farms to close. Luckily, local politicians and scientists join forces to discuss solutions.
Opening credits, title page (0:05). Scrolling text details plot of film (0:36). Church bells ring, scene of quiet New England town (0:58). First Baptist Church, Framingham – Minister stands at doorway and greets congregants as they leave service (1:07). Gravestone Hadlock Marcy Esquire located in Gill Cemetery (1:32). Plymouth Rock with year “1620” etched into stone (1:51). Man and woman work hard harvesting potatoes in field (2:22). Man carries wooden barrel on hip while collecting apples from tree, young boy helps with harvest and stands in tree on latter (2:56). Man sits among discarded corn husks, shucks ear of corn (3:34). Sequence of untouched nature, New England forests of birch, pine, maple trees (4:05). Two men use saw to chop down large tree, tree falls in forest, ox used to clear away chopped logs to make room for new farmland (4:57). Two men try and clear field of rocks/ debris; Re-use rocks to make stone fence along the land (6:10). Close-up of plow as it drives through the soil, zoomed out shots of two black horses pulling plow (6:41). Church in distance, close-up of sign that reads “Shakers Worsted Church Loudon” (8:00). Elderly woman retrieves mail from mailbox at end of driveway, walks back towards New England colonial-style house (8:10). Lords Hill Community Church Sandwich, New Hampshire (8:33). Farmer directs border collies so they can help with shepherding sheep over hills (9:03). Cattle farmer ushers cows through pasture, cows graze along hillside (10:34). Dairy farmers sit on stools and milk cows in barn (11:30). Close-up of shiny glass bottles as they pass through automated machine that fills them with fresh milk (12:06). Farmer sets out into hills on horse-drawn mower, clears fields (12:42). Men in field use pitchforks to organize hay, pull bundles up into wagon, hay then shoveled into silo of barn for storage throughout colder seasons (13:04). Close-up corn stalks in corn field, field hands chop down stalks of corn and load them onto horse-drawn wagon (14:12). Wild hardhack/ steeple bush waves in wind (15:28). Cows graze through field with overgrown juniper plant, land no longer good for farming (15:38). Farmers throw gathered corn stalks into pen with cows (16:09). Decrepit farm house, for sale sign in front yard (16:49). Antique sign advertising public auction at Gilson Farm in Quechee Village (16:58). Local men and women gather at farm and auction on goods, man seen carrying bounty of goods towards car park, Ford Model A seen parked (17:04). Dramatic music blares as camera pans abandoned farm with for sale sign, door tapped up with cardboard (17:50). Local politicians meet in town hall to discuss why farms are having to close (18:19). Scientists test soil samples in lab for ph levels, minerals (19:03). Men carry buckets of limestone, phosphorus treatment to return minerals back to soil (19:31). Montage clips farmers using horse-drawn plows, tractors etc. to clear fields now that they are growing with abundance (22:30). Scene of farm family at dinner (23:58). Boys and girls at school house and yard with teacher (24:34). Narrator closing words as footage plays of farmer guiding horse-drawn plow over grassy hillside (25:03). Film ends (25:56).
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