Beyond My Father's Farm

Beyond My Father's Farm
Author: George J. Zeller
Publisher: Infinity Publishing
Total Pages: 165
Release: 2010-07-16
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0741490315

Life on a farm in the 1940s meant hard work, and for the Zellers, it also meant turmoil, as my father's cold, harsh rule had a profound effect on my brother, my sister and me. Then our wonderful mother fell victim to a mysterious illness. Years later, hap

Bet the Farm

Bet the Farm
Author: Beth Hoffman
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2021-10-05
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 164283159X

"Eloquent and detailed...It's hard to have hope, but the organized observations and plans of Hoffman and people like her give me some. Read her book -- and listen." -- Jane Smiley, The Washington Post In her late 40s, Beth Hoffman decided to upend her comfortable life as a professor and journalist to move to her husband's family ranch in Iowa--all for the dream of becoming a farmer. There was just one problem: money. Half of America's two million farms made less than $300 in 2019, and many struggle just to stay afloat. Bet the Farm chronicles this struggle through Beth's eyes. She must contend with her father-in-law, who is reluctant to hand over control of the land. Growing oats is good for the environment but ends up being very bad for the wallet. And finding somewhere, in the midst of COVID-19, to slaughter grass finished beef is a nightmare. If Beth can't make it, how can farmers who confront racism, lack access to land, or don't have other jobs to fall back on hack it? Bet the Farm is a first-hand account of the perils of farming today and a personal exploration of more just and sustainable ways of producing food.

Reading My Father

Reading My Father
Author: Alexandra Styron
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2011
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1416591818

"Reading My Father" is an intimate, moving, and beautifully written portrait of the novelist William Styron by his daughter, Alexandra.

One Size Fits None

One Size Fits None
Author: Stephanie Anderson
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2019-01-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1496211944

2019 Midwest Book Award for Nature 2020 High Plains Book Award Finalist 2020 Silver Nautilus Book Award Winner in Green Living and Sustainability “Sustainable” has long been the rallying cry of agricultural progressives; given that much of our nation’s farm and ranch land is already degraded, however, sustainable agriculture often means maintaining a less-than-ideal status quo. Industrial agriculture has also co-opted the term for marketing purposes without implementing better practices. Stephanie Anderson argues that in order to provide nutrient-rich food and fight climate change, we need to move beyond sustainable to regenerative agriculture, a practice that is highly tailored to local environments and renews resources. In One Size Fits None Anderson follows diverse farmers across the United States: a South Dakota bison rancher who provides an alternative to the industrial feedlot; an organic vegetable farmer in Florida who harvests microgreens; a New Mexico super-small farmer who revitalizes communities; and a North Dakota midsize farmer who combines livestock and grain farming to convert expensive farmland back to native prairie. The use of these nontraditional agricultural techniques show how varied operations can give back to the earth rather than degrade it. This book will resonate with anyone concerned about the future of food in America, providing guidance for creating a better, regenerative agricultural future. Download a discussion guide (PDF).

Not My Father's Footsteps

Not My Father's Footsteps
Author: Bryan Dean
Publisher: iUniverse
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2005
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0595337864

There are several thousand, if not millions of married men who are in the closet today. For the majority of these men, dating, marriage, family and careers have kept them there. Fears of separation from family, loss of friends, and loss of job are those things which cause them to hide behind the mask of heterosexual male. These men had little if no opportunity to explore this after adolescence. Many lived in small towns across the country. They have lived with fear, anxiety and guilt. Many successfully hid it from their wives. Some did not. The evolution of the Internet opened many doors for these men. Statistics prove that coming out usually ends in divorce. Not My Father's Footsteps takes a look at one such journey...an odyssey that in less than a year took him from inside the closet to a new life outside. It is a journey of love and torment, and finding love again. It is the story of seedy spas and confinement in the psychiatric ward for a brief time. By going back to his roots, he has been able to come out of his darkness and into the light of being a gay man.