Quick hits: Learning about guns the rural way; making 'pain-free' horseradish; inspiration from a farm girl; rugged art

Horseradish can have a mighty kick! "Making it from fresh roots is easy and rewarding, but the oil released during processing can be an assault on the senses if you're not careful," writes Eric Hurlock of Lancaster Farming. "Follow this quick guide to reap the pleasure of homemade horseradish. . . without melting your face."

Drawing by Navied Mahdavian, L.A. Times

When an urbanite cartoonist and writer moves to very rural Idaho, lessons about a different way of living and thinking abound in this Op-Comic, "What I learned about guns when I moved to rural America," by Navied Mahdavian of the Los Angeles Times. "Ironically, many people here expressed fear of cities because of perceived gun violence. . . . They view it as a city problem."

In rural Norway, the wool trade has thrived for centuries. "Viking life must have been like this — frigid, wild days in an open boat, constantly watching the waves and clouds to avoid disaster," writes Claire Eamer for Hakai magazine. "Wool was as much a part of that life as the sea and the ships. The Vikings were great sailors and fearsome warriors but couldn't have left port without wool. It provided the raw material for their clothes, their blankets, even the sails that harnessed the wind for their ships."

In the age of Amazon, it's good to see that some golden brick-and-mortar stores, such as Ranch-Land Western Store in the Sandhills of Nebraska, have managed to thrive, reports Natalia Alamdari of Flatwater Free Press. "Three generations of the McBride family have outfitted customers from Nebraska and beyond with boots and hats. . . . The store is filled to the brim with history and memories. It has survived a fire that threatened its existence, booms and busts in the cattle market, the economic strain of a global pandemic."

Brynn loves taking care of 'her' cows.
(Photo via DH)

"Sometimes the biggest inspiration comes in the smallest packages. This certainly holds true for Brynn Grewe from Cumberland, Wis. The pint-size dairy farm girl is not only well-known in the industry but also serves as a true inspiration, as she embodies strength, grit and perseverance," reports Karen Bohnert of Dairy Herd Management. When Brynn was 18 months old, she contracted an infection that went septic, and she eventually had to have amputations. But she has not lost her spunk. "Brynn is a true farm girl—she helps lead heifers, feed hay, and wash cattle as they prepare for shows. She has even called dibs on which heifers she wants to show in the future."

"Man With a Hoe" (1860-62) by Jean-François Millet
(The J. Paul Getty Museum photo via WSJ)

Rural life can be diverse, beautiful and brutal. Jean-François Millet's monumental "Man With a Hoe" (1860-62) "has enjoyed popular acclaim as an empathetic image of hardscrabble labor in a rugged, agrarian landscape," reports Mary Tompkins Lewis of The Wall Street Journal. Lewis offers inquiry and thoughts on the work and the artist who grew up in a small town. "Millet's painting of a beleaguered farmworker shocked viewers when it was first shown in 1863 Paris, but it has proved to be an enduring image of relentless toil."