In These Veins: Stories of Life on a Small American Farm

This book was conceived as a means of documenting some of my life experiences to be read by my children and grandchildren, but it gradually morphed into much more. It is, in fact, primarily about my lifelong love affair with farming.

I have a spiritual affinity with nature, sunrises, the earth, and dirt. Most mornings my wife encourages me to "go outside and play," as she knows that growing and tending plants and trees charges my batteries and keeps my juices flowing. Farming is in my soul and in my veins. Blues singer John Lee Hooker captured it best when he sang, "It's in him, and it got to come out."

Fifty independent, natural essays cover a range of topics, among them how not to trap a rabbit, the exhilaration of a thirteen-year-old racing his first car through a corn field, and how the strong work ethic of a Dutch national immigrant had an immense influence on me. I describe the excitement of anticipating the summer's first garden-ripened tomato, get you to see how old stone walls can be appreciated and viewed in a different light, and try to convince you that gravity is your friend. I share with you the love of having a farm dog, the childish giddiness of a seventy-year-old torquing the throttle of a bulldozer, the frustrations of having Mother Nature be your boss, and the many frequent and often simple successes enjoyed by farmers.

It is my hope that you will be entertained, uplifted, and educated by reading about my seventy-year agricultural journey. I hope to convince you that farm life is stimulating, that it teaches us many new skills, and that its rewards are accessible - at some level - to everyone. I will be rewarded if, when you finish reading, you want to get into your car, find the nearest farm store and stock up on veggie seeds for next spring's garden.

Gardeners, farmers, and people who love nature, farm markets, science, and tractors will enjoy reading this book.