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, gambler, showman and actor. Read more

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 tenants of an English lord before becoming landowners themselves. Read more

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. Read more

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. Read more

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 week, if you break it up and read one chapter a night. Read more

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. Read more

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 happen. Once you know you are not allergic to bee stings, your next step should be to purchase this book. Read more

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.  Read more

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. Read more

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 dime from one to another. Read more

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 treader tool, also called Cawker City home? Read more

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. Read more

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. Read more

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. Read more

“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. Read more

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 passion—agriculture. Read more