Water challenges—from quality to quantity—abound throughout the High Plains.
Jan Drake’s “Wild Horses of the West” provides a glimpse into the lives of equine that live on public lands and her book provides wonderful artwork and an appropriate level of commentary.
Cowboy philosopher Will Rogers once said, regarding ignorance, “It’s not what we don’t know that gets us into trouble; it’s what we ‘know’ that just ain’t so.” Michael Shellenberger’s just-published book, Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All (HarperCollins, 2020) challen…
One of the longest book titles reviewed in High Plains Journal offers a fun summary of the origins of farmyard animals.
A baked potato dressed with butter and sour cream is a delicious asset for any steak dinner.
A pleasant read of “Sauble: Stories from the Flint Hills” awaits those who enjoy accounts about the beauty of the people and region.
Historical fiction is not the traditional fare I gravitate toward. But when I had an opportunity to review “Prairie Truth” by Marilyn Bay, I decided to read it because of my own fascination with Colorado, a state my family always gravitated toward when it came to summer vacations.
When people think of Old West legends, the famed gunslinger and folk hero Wild Bill Hickok is likely to come to mind. Born James Butler Hickok, the man later known as Wild Bill inspired many fantastic stories, some of them fictional, about his adventures as a scout, spy, federal marshal, gam…
Kansas joined the Union on Jan. 29, 1861, and many people know the story of its statehood and its history tied to not only the Civil War but also to the rise of political populism, the home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and aviator Amelia Earhart.
The title of Philip E. Bradshaw’s book, “Your Food—My Adventure: One Farmer’s Journey to Feed the World,” quickly draws one’s interest.
One of the more intriguing books that recently came across my desk was “The Garlic Papers: A Small Garlic Farm in the Age of Global Vampires.”
In “The Farmer’s Son: Calving Season on a Family Farm,” John Connell shares the story of returning to his family’s farm, Birchview, in County Longford, Ireland. For generations the Connells have farmed near the River Camlin, not far from the village of Ballinalee. Their Irish ancestors were …
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“The Worm Farmer’s Handbook” is a valuable resource if you are looking to wriggle your way into worm farming.
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Bridging the divide in national or state politics right now is an exercise in frustration. Yet that is no reason to give up at the community level, where needs and services are needed the most.
Journalist Amanda Little’s The Fate of Food: What We’ll Eat In A Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World, offers a refreshing, non-ideological and optimistic take on the agricultural challenge of the 21st century: feeding a growing population while reducing the climate impacts of agriculture. The book…
The history of the Kempton family in America is as colorful as the Montana skies when the Northern Lights are shining. Trudy Kempton Dana merges thorough research with a healthy dab of storytelling to share her family’s tales.
Pollinators are the backbone of agriculture. When bee colonies collapse, it affects anyone who needs food to survive. The authors of this book have presented several possible triggers of accelerated honey bee deaths and colony collapse disorder.
A decline of commodity prices in major crop-growing states has shifted an emphasis on global food production, which makes a recent release a timely read. “How to Feed the World” is a fascinating read not because it spends time talking about how to build a simple road to get there but rather …
Writing stories about the wrath of Mother Nature is one of the toughest and most challenging jobs journalists face.
Gerd de Ley, a Belgian actor and curator of quotes, now offers “Cowboy Wisdom,” an enjoyable collection of sage advice and clever quips. In a high quality hardcover, the book will last a lifetime though, weighing in at 112 pages, it won’t take that long to read. It could take an evening or a…
Many artists fancy themselves as book writers and the author of “Horn Stew,” Darol Dickinson, provided a 215-page book complete with 152 illustrations for those who have an interest in livestock production’s yesteryear.
Sarah Smarsh grew up poor in rural southern Kansas in the 1980s and 1990s. As she shares the history and experiences of her family in “Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth,” Smarsh weaves in observations about American history, economics and sociology.
Honey bees can be a rewarding hobby but Norman Gary, author of “Honey Bee Hobbyist,” asks that you do one thing before you jump in. Visit an allergist to be certain you aren’t allergic to bee stings. Proper handling of bees will lessen your chances of getting stung, but, inevitably, it will …
Soil health evangelist and North Dakota farmer Gabe Brown farms in Burleigh County, North Dakota. The author of “Dirt to Soil” is legendary in the modern soil health fraternity.
It would have been fascinating to work at the John Deere plow company in 1912, when more than 50 manufacturers had already built motorized tractors, trying to boost speed and efficiency for the nation’s 6.3 million farmers.
It is often difficult to accurately portray the wide range of responsibilities on your farm and ranch to those who don’t live it everyday. Proficiencies in agronomy, record keeping, mechanical repair, marketing and animal husbandry are necessary, of course, and any given day can turn on a di…
Almost every Kansan knows that Cawker City is home to the World’s Largest Ball of Sisal Twine. Did you know, however, that the hassock (an ottoman that can also store stuff) was invented in the same community? Or that Richardson Manufacturing, maker of the AD Flex blade plow and mulch treade…
Dale Strickler was a keynote speaker at High Plains Journal’s inaugural Soil Health U in January. He mentioned that he had written a book called “The Drought Resilient Farm,” to be published in June. We wanted a crack at reviewing the book and my review copy came a few weeks ago.
When historians look back at agriculture innovators, a few names come to mind: John Deere and the moldboard plow. Cyrus McCormick and the mechanical reaper. Jethro Tull and the grain drill.
Growing up behind the wheel of an old, chartreuse-colored Steiger Bearcat, I felt as if I was on top of the world. The tractor may have been worn out when my father bought it, but it still marked a major improvement over the Case 930 on which I learned to be a tractor operator.
“Do you want me to read you this new book I got?” I asked my boys over the weekend. “Yes!” was the resounding answer from the two.
In thousands of High Plains communities from the 1920s to early 2000s, a J.C. Penney department store was as common as Main Street itself. Yet, while J.C. Penney shoppers were buying Big Mac overalls, Plain Pockets jeans and Towncraft shirts, few of them knew about the merchant’s other passi…
Touching on yesterday is part of the charm of the heartland, yet those who enjoy visiting also know the story is not always predictable.
