In On Farms and Rural Communities, renowned rural historian Jerry Apps urges us to recognize the importance of rural farming communities and to build a new, stronger agriculture policy for our future. Components of Jerry’s book include:

• Highlighting the detrimental effects of industrialized agriculture, where profit often takes precedence over environmental stewardship.
• Exploring the once-close relationship between farmers and rural villages; recently, these relationships have faltered, leaving many communities struggling to survive.
• Advocating for a paradigm shift towards a sustainable agriculture model that respects and nurtures the land, emphasizing the importance of ethical land use.
• Presenting innovative approaches to food production that align with sustainable rural community development.
• Stressing the need for collaboration between rural and urban communities to develop a shared reverence for the land and a sustainable agricultural ethic for the future.

Selected Excerpts:

• “Agriculture has been and remains for many rural communities its core activity.  One of the most critical problems facing rural America these days is what has happened and what is happening to Agriculture.”
• “Some small acreage farmers are part of the community supported agriculture (CSA) movement. An urban family purchases shares directly from the farmer.  Depending on the membership agreement, the farmer delivers farm shares—boxes or bags of produce—weekly or biweekly throughout the growing season.”
• “The United States depends on strong rural communities, and especially on a vibrant agriculture that focuses first and foremost on the land.  The land must be nurtured and respected. Land is much more than dirt. . . we must return to a reverence for the land—no matter where we live, city or country.”

Join our conversation to hear from Jerry’s decades of experience in farming communities, and discuss the current outlook for CSA farmers and consumers. Plus, we’re running a book giveaway as part of this event! And, you can purchase copies for CSA members at a discounted rate; details to come.