Thomas Jefferson once envisioned the United States as a 'nation of yeomen farmers'. Looking around today, however, illustrates that nothing could be further from the truth. In a globalised world and techno-centred society, urban sprawl is overtaking rural America. For over a century, farming was the backbone of the American economy, and though it is still critical to American productivity, many rural areas are plagued by poverty and job reduction. Agricultural issues have a hold over national politics (as in the debates over farm subsidies), but they cannot change several significant trends in America today: the movement toward fewer and larger farms, environmental pressures from urban and suburban interests, and changing food consumption patterns. In order to assist the remaining 'yeomen farmers', a comprehensive and integrated agricultural policy must be initiated to sustain the nation's farming communities. This book analyses the status of the farm industry in rural America, providing a historical context for agriculture and assessing its future for the nation. and the information provided in this book is necessary to understanding the nature of what has historically been a key component of American industry and life.

A clarion call to recognize the importance of rural farming communities and to build a new agriculture policy for our future In a twenty-first-century landscape marked by unprecedented challenges, the relevance of agriculture and farms has never been more apparent. From the unsettling shortages experienced during the pandemic to recent fluctuations in the cost and availability of basic grocery items due to historic droughts and climate impacts, Americans are being reminded daily of the importance of rural communities. And yet, the reality of these farm communities and farm policy is foreign to many Americans. Written from the unique perspective of best-selling author Jerry Apps, a farmer and noted historian, On Farms and Rural Communities: An Agricultural Ethic For the Future is a poignant testament to the enduring importance of this vital part of our nation and a call to shape agricultural policy for the present and future.& Jerry Apps takes a comprehensive look at the historical, present-day, and future significance of rural communities. With insightful analysis of critical issues such as agriculture, land utilization, demographic shifts, and socioeconomic and cultural factors, Apps highlights the urgent need to restore and better appreciate our rural communities. He urges the creation of an agricultural ethic that looks at the land and the people, celebrating all that has made American farming an essential part of our history while positioning it for a brighter future. The book is a must-read for all Americans, proving insight and hope for our agricultural future.

Challenges conventional thinking and top-down definitions, instead drawing on the library user's perspective to argue that the public library's most important function is providing commonplace reading materials and public space. Challenges a professional ethos about public libraries and their responsibilities to fight censorship and defend intellectual freedom. Demonstrates that the American public library has been (with some notable exceptions) a place that welcomed newcomers, accepted diversity, and constructed community since the end of the 19th century. Shows how stories that cultural authorities have traditionally disparaged- i.e. books that are not "serious"- have often been transformative for public library users.

A collection of essays that offer a methodological framework for the history of reading. Focusing on a specific historical moment, it gathers statistics about such issues as literacy rates, library subscriptions, publication and sales figures, and print runs to answer questions about what was being read and by whom in a particular place and time.

As a country matures and prospers, growing into a great nation of hardworking individuals whose ingenuity and persistence creates financial opportunities for all that are willing to participate, it comes under attack by forces using less than honest means to reap the benefits of the sweat and blood of steadfast Americans. When entities outside our nation force their lifestyle upon the unsuspecting masses, the essence of our country is eroded away, over time, by thieves taking increments small enough to go unnoticed but eventually there is nothing left of the country but memories. This book depicts one of the ways this could and possibly has happened.