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Agriculture / Wisconsin

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Voices from the Heart of the Land Rural Stories That Inspire Community Richard L. Cates Jr. Terrace Books, A trade inprint of the University of Wisconsin Press “Cates captures the essence of our township, our citizens, the moments of joy and laughter, hardship and sorrow, and the unspoken bonds that held it all together.”—Sondy Pope-Roberts, Wisconsin state representative and native of Arena township From 2001 to 2006, Richard L. Cates Jr. interviewed senior members of more than 30 families living in and around Arena township, a small community in southern Wisconsin. He asked them about growing up in rural America and their connection to a way of life that is vanishing in the twenty-first century. The result, Voices from the Heart of the Land, is a collection of reminiscences, observations, and opinions celebrating the stewardship of the land and the values of the stewards. Of course, as Cates points out, these are nothing less than “our core human values—integrity, commitment, responsibility, citizenship, self-determination, decency, kindness, love, and hope.” “This is a glimpse of what life was like in this rural community through much of the twentieth century. Through the spoken words of these rural folk we learn about love of land and community and of the power of the story. Their voices urge us to recommit to finding and fostering the values and the behavior that sustained and nurtured us in the past.”—Jerry Apps, author of In a Pickle: A Family Farm Story Richard L. Cates Jr. and his family own a pasture-based farm and raises grass-fed beef in Wyoming township, near Spring Green, Wisconsin. He is senior lecturer in soil science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he also serves as coordinator of the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers and is affiliated with the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems. For more information regarding publicity and reviews contact our publicity manager, phone: (608) 263-0734, email: publicity@uwpress.wisc.edu Of related interest Renewing the Countryside—Wisconsin Stories of Sustainable Living, Working and Playing Edited by Jerry Hembd and Jody Padgham With a foreword by Governor Jim Doyle This beautifully illustrated book showcases 39 examples of creative, hard-working people who are bringing new energy and hope to the countryside. Renewing the Countryside —Wisconsin explores how the state is leading the nation in sustainably grown food, environmentally responsible businesses, and homegrown, forward-looking solutions. Distributed for Renewing the Countryside, published in partnership with Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service and the Northern Center for Community and Economic Development (UW–Superior and UW–Extension)

November 2008 LC: 2008019183 S 200 pp. 11 x 9 135 b/w photos, 1 map, 1 line drawing, 1 chart ISBN 978-0-299-22784-5 Paper $24.95 t Add titles to your shopping cart by clicking on the "Add this book to cart" link above. You can submit your order electronically, paying for it with your credit card. Click here for a further explanation of the shopping cart feature Never ordered from us before? Read this first.

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