"Paul Harvey would be proud of Levi Lyle. He truly embodies what it means to be a steward of the land. He has shown that working with nature can not only improve the environment, but can be financially profitable as well." Dale Hilgenkamp, President, American Aronia Berry Association "With farmers facing climate challenges now more than ever - we need bold leaders and innovative strategies to reshape U.S. food and farm policy. Levi calls us to action to revitalize the American farm and revolutionize the future of farming in the U.S." Rosalyn Lehman, Executive Director, Iowa Organic Association "Levi exposes the fundamental flaws in our system of modern, industrialized agriculture and lays out a regenerative vision for the future of agriculture." Tom Wahl, Red Fern Farm "Levi lights a hopeful path forward..." Christophe Jospe, President, Carbon A List 'This book shows a deep understanding of the land and a well-honed perspective of the many intricacies of life as a farmer." Patrick O'Malley, Ph.D., Native Fruit Association "Levi is not just a philosopher of the history and culture of agriculture; he is an innovative farmer who marries technology with ecology." Francis Thicke, Soil scientist and organic farmer In a state dominated by mono-cropped GMO corn and soybeans and hog factory farms, sixth-generation farmer Levi Lyle offers a new, comprehensive, and holistic, yet practical vision to regenerate rural Iowa-and America-that he thoughtfully and eloquently presents in "So God Made a Farmer: "A Retrospective on The Living Words of Paul Harvey by an Organic Farmer." Levi sees the problems with the current corporate-dominated industrial agriculture methods that are eroding Iowa's rich soils, polluting its waterways, and hollowing out its once vibrant small towns. But Levi's thoughtful message is not one of division but one of hope, aiming to bring people together to revive rural communities. Levi's perspective is solidly grounded on his family farm with its diversified production based on organic and regenerative agriculture practices. Levi Lyle is not only a farmer, but in his prolific writings, such as So God Made a Farmer, he is also an eloquent spokesperson for a new vision of agriculture that is quickly gaining ground in America and around the world. In this way, Levi Lyle may become the Wendell Berry of his generation. Ken Roseboro, editor, The Organic & Non-GMO Report

Farming takes heart, grit, and determination-- traits that go straight to the core of what makes America great. The men and women who dedicate their lives to filling the world's breadbasket embody the very spirit of hard work, sacrifice, and commitment to family that keeps this nation strong. The Farmer in All of Us: An American Portrait celebrates the American farmer like never before, using the poignant words of legendary radio broadcaster Paul Harvey and stunning photographs to delve into the land, lives, and legacy of these inspiring individuals.--

"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.

From farm-to-table restaurants and farmers markets, to support for fair trade and food sovereignty, movements for food-system change hold the promise for deeper transformations. Yet Americans continue to live the paradox of caring passionately about healthy eating while demanding the convenience of fast food. Rooted Resistance explores this fraught but promising food scene. More than a retelling of the origin story of a democracy born from an intimate connection with the land, this book wagers that socially responsible agrarian mythmaking should be a vital part of a food ethic of resistance if we are to rectify the destructive tendencies in our contemporary food system. Through a careful examination of several case studies, Rooted Resistance traverses the ground of agrarian myth in modern America. The authors investigate key figures and movements in the history of modern agrarianism, including the World War I victory garden efforts, the postwar Country Life movement for the vindication of farmers’ rights, the Southern Agrarian critique of industrialism, and the practical and spiritual prophecy of organic farming put forth by J. I. Rodale. This critical history is then brought up to date with recent examples such as the contested South Central Farm in urban Los Angeles and the spectacular rise and fall of the Chipotle “Food with Integrity” branding campaign. By examining a range of case studies, Singer, Grey, and Motter aim for a deeper critical understanding of the many applications of agrarian myth and reveal why it can help provide a pathway for positive systemic change in the food system.

There is a craft to uprising -- and this craft can change the world From protests around climate change and immigrant rights, to Occupy, the Arab Spring, and #BlackLivesMatter, a new generation is unleashing strategic nonviolent action to shape public debate and force political change. When mass movements erupt onto our television screens, the media consistently portrays them as being spontaneous and unpredictable. Yet, in this book, Mark and Paul Engler look at the hidden art behind such outbursts of protest, examining core principles that have been used to spark and guide moments of transformative unrest. With incisive insights from contemporary activists, as well as fresh revelations about the work of groundbreaking figures such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Gene Sharp, and Frances Fox Piven, the Englers show how people with few resources and little conventional influence are engineering the upheavals that are reshaping contemporary politics. Nonviolence is usually seen simply as a philosophy or moral code. This Is an Uprising shows how it can instead be deployed as a method of political conflict, disruption, and escalation. It argues that if we are always taken by surprise by dramatic outbreaks of revolt, we pass up the chance to truly understand how social transformation happens.

Journey with a family through six months in “the valley of the shadow of death” as an aggressive lung cancer takes a beloved, firstborn son through the worst battle of his life. A Purple Heart recipient from the Afghan war, Scott’s war with cancer will highlight and underline the survival on a distant battlefield only to die on a familiar home front. Share the thoughts and memories of a dad reflecting on the irony of the number forty, and read of his memories of his past that helped him endure one of the greatest tragedies of his life, the death of his son in his fortieth year. Witness the miracles in the midst of the misery as family and friends rally to help this family cope with an incurable disease. Note the sadness that comes when this father’s father passes away at the height of his grandson’s struggle for survival. Hear the glimmer of hope that comes from looking “beyond” to happier and fairer days coming in the blessed place called heaven. See the faith that sustains through insomnia and illness, heartache and heartbreak. Learn the precepts from the Bible that that will not only help one understand the process but understand the purpose of why someone so young passes away. This book is more about departing than dying; more about heaven than earth; and more about acceptance than bitterness.

An epic story of the American wheat harvest, the politics of food, and the culture of the Great Plains For over one hundred years, the Mockett family has owned a seven-thousand-acre wheat farm in the panhandle of Nebraska, where Marie Mutsuki Mockett’s father was raised. Mockett, who grew up in bohemian Carmel, California, with her father and her Japanese mother, knew little about farming when she inherited this land. Her father had all but forsworn it. In American Harvest, Mockett accompanies a group of evangelical Christian wheat harvesters through the heartland at the invitation of Eric Wolgemuth, the conservative farmer who has cut her family’s fields for decades. As Mockett follows Wolgemuth’s crew on the trail of ripening wheat from Texas to Idaho, they contemplate what Wolgemuth refers to as “the divide,” inadvertently peeling back layers of the American story to expose its contradictions and unhealed wounds. She joins the crew in the fields, attends church, and struggles to adapt to the rhythms of rural life, all the while continually reminded of her own status as a person who signals “not white,” but who people she encounters can’t quite categorize. American Harvest is an extraordinary evocation of the land and a thoughtful exploration of ingrained beliefs, from evangelical skepticism of evolution to cosmopolitan assumptions about food production and farming. With exquisite lyricism and humanity, this astonishing book attempts to reconcile competing versions of our national story.