Award winning author, retired professor, former UW-Extension agent and long-ago dairy kid – Jerry Apps has penned another book. This time, instead of teaching us about the history of cheese, the love of our county fairs, or the methods behind construction of some of our beautiful barns – Apps is reminding us all to hold tight the value of small farming communities.
In a conversation with Pam Jahnke, Apps retraces growing up in the small community of Wild Rose. He was a small child during the Great Depression, and saw Wisconsin agriculture at its weakest, and its boldest. Apps said he witnessed real innovation in production agriculture through technology and education. Today, Apps is voicing his concern over the thinning numbers of people that make up our small farming communities. He also asks the reader who will speak up and defend those small farming communities.
Apps is eager to engage with readers that might question the value of agriculture and farming today. He points to the sudden shock consumers witnessed when they were limited on milk purchases during the pandemic, and also saw empty shelves in stores and butcher shops. He says that is an excellent example of why everyone needs to be engaged in the conversation about trying to maintain a vibrant rural community.
In his book “On Farms and Rural Communities: An Agriculture Ethic For The Future”, Apps takes a comprehensive look at the historical, present-day, and future significance of rural communities. He offers 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.
Apps new book, “On Farms and Rural Communities: An Agriculture Ethic For The Future” is available online, and via Amazon.
