On Farms and Rural Communities An Agricultural Ethic for the Future

A clarion call to recognize the importance of rural farming communities and to build a new agriculture policy for our future 
  In a twenty-first-century landscape marked by unprecedented challenges, the relevance of agriculture and farms has never been more apparent. From the unsettling shortages experienced during the pandemic to recent fluctuations in the cost and availability of basic grocery items due to historic droughts and climate impacts, Americans are being reminded daily of the importance of rural communities. And yet, the reality of these farm communities and farm policy is foreign to many Americans. Written from the unique perspective of best-selling author Jerry Apps, a farmer and noted historian, On Farms and Rural Communities: An Agricultural Ethic For the Future is a poignant testament to the enduring importance of this vital part of our nation and a call to shape agricultural policy for the present and future.  
  Jerry Apps takes a comprehensive look at the historical, present-day, and future significance of rural communities. With 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. The book is a must-read for all Americans, proving insight and hope for our agricultural future. 

Jerry Apps is a former county extension agent and is now professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin– Madison, where he taught for thirty years. Today he works as a rural historian and full-time writer and is the author of many books on rural history, country life, and the environment. He has created six-hour-long documentaries with PBS Wisconsin, has won several awards for his writing, and won a regional Emmy Award for the TV program A Farm Winter.

1. Introduction
2. History of Agriculture and Rural America
   1. Land Use and Abuse
3. A Personal Example of Early Farm Life
4. Rural Villages in an Earlier Day
5. Dramatic Changes in Rural America
   1. Contributions of Rural America to Urban Centers
6. Rural Communities Today
   1. Rural America Today
   2. The Importance of Rural Communities
   3. Advantages and Disadvantages of Rural Living
   4. Population Trends in Urban, Suburban and Rural Communities
7. Land is More Than Dirt
8.  Rural America and Climate Change
9. A Broken Food System
   1. When Industrial-size Agriculture Began
   2. Food Systems and Rural America
   3. Critics of Industrial-size Agriculture
10. Industrial-Size Agriculture
    1. Large Scale Beef Cattle Feeding Operations
    2. Hog CAFOS
    3. Dairy CAFOs
    4. The Future for Dairy CAFOS
    5. Industrial-Size Crop Farming
11. Assuring a Future Food Supply
    1. Alternatives to Industrial-size Farming
    2. Alternatives to Industrial-Size Animal Operations
12. Future Rural Communities
13. Conclusion
    1. New Farmers
    2. Rural Villages and Cities of the Future

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