During World War II, food rationing was one way that American civilians remained engaged in the war effort. By conserving their food at home they left more for servicemen, who, being well-fed, could go on to defeat the Axis and win the war. Or so the thinking went.

This propaganda film, produced for a beet cannery, instructs laborers on how to work faster by trimming beets the easy way. By doing this they would help win the war, the placards assert, before a shot of a gallantly waving American flag.

Every day we track down a Video Wonder: an audiovisual offering that delights, inspires, and entertains. Have you encountered a video we should feature? Email ella@atlasobscura.com.

Gastro Obscura covers the world’s most wondrous food and drink.
Sign up for our email, delivered twice a week.