A Practical Farmer’s Journey: A History of Community, Stewardship, and Resilience

Part historical memoir and part "blueprint" for sustainable farming and the future of agricultural communities, this works follows the life of a born and raised farmer, and the changes to his trade witnessed over a lifetime. A Practical Farmer’s Journey revolves around three promises. The first was fulfilled for many immigrants who came and settled in western Iowa, allowing them to purchase land, start farms, and build new lives and communities. The second promise, however, was broken during Ron L. Rosmann's fifty-year farming career, when the corporatization and industrialization of agriculture led to farm consolidation, monocropping and vertical integration, ecological destruction, and the steady decline of rural communities. The third promise focuses on restoring what was broken, detailing how agricultural communities can adopt thoughtful and sustainable farming practices. Through the narrative of the farmer and author, using these promises as its framework, this book explores how to combat climate change in agriculture and create healthier farms and food systems, aiming to restore the unfulfilled potential of rural America.