A wonderful collection of stories and photos of innovative people revitalizing rural Iowa communities! Hardcover Edition. |
| Renewing the Countryside—Iowa honors those who have found a way to make a living in the countryside while supporting their communities and protecting the environment. Traverse these pages and meet everyday heroes and twenty-first-century pioneers who are bringing new life to small towns—from Spirit Lake to Wapello, from Shenandoah to Decorah. 160 pages; 120 color photos; 9.125" x 9.375"; hard cover ____________________________________________ Reviews This is a wonderful ledger of unheralded heroes who don’t make billions or blow anything up. They are quiet, intelligent and caring Iowans. They have journeyed through hard times but sustained their love of place. They are creating an inspiring culture of farm and commerce and community, where human and land can be in enduring harmony. Every American worried about the planet should use this as scripture for the future. — Hugh Sidey, writer, Time magazine, native of Greenfield, Iowa This book is a must-read for those who conclude that small-towns are dying as well as those who cherish small town life Renewing the Countryside—Iowa is a human parade of rural success stories: people who are adaptable, resourceful, and determined to find a way to live in harmony with the land and profit from it. — Christie Vilsack, First Lady of Iowa The stories in Renewing the Countryside are, in the best sense, wonderfully entrepreneurial. They should remind us all, whether farmer or corporate executive, that we must trust in forces that are greater than we are individually if we are to renew, or to create something altogether new. Biological diversity and diversity of thought, when nurtured, will produce astounding results. — Rick Schnieders, President and CEO, SYSCO Corporation Iowan Aldo Leopold, in A Sand County Almanac, focused on the concept of harmony between people and the land. Iowa is a “beautiful land” inhabited by beautiful people. It is this harmony that gives beauty to both our countryside and our citizens. Renewing the Countryside—Iowa reveals the ingenuity of Iowans and their love of the beauty of our land and our heritage—a heritage based on working with and understanding the balance of harmony. — Robert D. Ray, former Governor of Iowa _________________________________________________ Published in partnership with: Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture Iowa Rural Development Council Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy by Renewing the Countryside Additional sponsors include: Northwest Area Foundation, Humane Society of the United States, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Northern Great Plains, Inc., Great Plains Institute for Sustainable Development, Center for Respect of Life and Environment, United States Department of Agriculture—Cooperative State Research, Education & Extension Service |