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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
A great and not a little depressing story of what has gone wrong in modern American farming. Hopeful in places maddening in others, this is a very well written tale of where things stand in rural American and the biz of farms.
I found the book to be pretty boring being from the midwest. But it could be interesting for those who don't know a lot about farming.
I didn't love the writing style either. It read like the dull short story section of an ITBS test.
I would recommend it to those who want to learn about farming and have basically no knowledge of it.
I didn't love the writing style either. It read like the dull short story section of an ITBS test.
I would recommend it to those who want to learn about farming and have basically no knowledge of it.
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Nebraska Reads book selection 2019
Book club book
I do not think I am the target audience for this book. I do not recommend this book on audio. I liked the parts about the family, but the business agriculture stuff went in one ear and out the other.
Book club book
I do not think I am the target audience for this book. I do not recommend this book on audio. I liked the parts about the family, but the business agriculture stuff went in one ear and out the other.
This book gives a detailed and up close and personal view of what it is like to own a farm. The farm in question is in Nebraska, and the incredible complexity of all that is involved in operating a farm really hit me. One has to not just know about the land, the crops, the livestock, but also understand very sophisticated technology and how to run a big business. On top of all of this, there is risk to assess, risk that depends on so much that one has no control over: the weather, the market, the competition, and the dangers from nature to your crops and livestock. I finished this book with such an incredible respect for those who choose to pursue this life. Thank heaven they do!
Very informative look at the history of American farming. Also very depressing. Also makes overhauling a system feel completely overwhelming. Also I’m glad I’m not a farmer but I know a lot of people who are.
I read this as it was available through my library as the All Iowa Reads 2019 eBook. Interestingly enough, this is actually about Nebraska, but it was pretty well written. There was, surprisingly, a lot of interesting historical information about farming in the US, including information about now well-known companies like Pioneer, Monsanto, Cargill, DuPont, and ADM. Some of the information was pretty simple, too - especially if you grew up in the region and/or are married into a farm family :)
Not necessarily a page turner, but a great story highlighting what life on the farm is like, as well as some history which lays the groundwork for understanding how the agricultural industry operates today.
Touched on lots of interesting things, many of them agriculturally themed. An interesting read for this Nebraska-born country-girl to put the farming in better context, then and now.
I liked the parts about the history of soy bean farming in the U.S., genetically modified corn, agricultural chemicals, center pivot irrigation, antibiotic free cattle, the Ogallala aquifer, migration in and out of small towns. A Whittier connection too, sadly.
I liked the parts about the history of soy bean farming in the U.S., genetically modified corn, agricultural chemicals, center pivot irrigation, antibiotic free cattle, the Ogallala aquifer, migration in and out of small towns. A Whittier connection too, sadly.
I’ve lived in Nebraska for 36 years and know every single spot mentioned in this book, yet I will never look at a field the same way again.