Once Upon A Farm (Book)
Once Upon A Farm II: How To Look, Listen, Laugh, And Survive, by Bill and Karen Johnson of Avoca, Iowa is a collection of the farm couple's original, straight-from-the-heart true stories, poems, and journal excerpts with subjects from the 1940's through 2005.
Based on their over 55 years of farm life experiences and firsthand encounters, including their mistakes, the book proposes to spark memories and connections for readers who have lived on a farm, or to tell nonfarmers what it's like to produce food and products for our nation and world. Once Upon A Farm II offers to take its readers on an insightful, entertaining, inspirational walk through rural America for a close down-to-earth look at life on a family farm.
Go back in time to threshing, milking cows before school, swingin’ on the hay rope, and lessons learned like keeping your spade clean. Imagine making hay when it’s 100° or choring when it’s 20 below. See a barn fire; follow surgeries due to life threatening infection: ride the rollercoaster of cattle, crops, and input prices. Read of deaths and share thoughts of remembering and hope. Feel the joy of a first grandchild!
Laugh as you hear of poking chickens down the outhouse or, “How Will I Ever Get Along Without My Truck?” or, “Eatin’ On The Farm.”
Read why, “It would be a ten on a Richter scale if US farmers are allowed to fail”; or where, “You’ll hear the whisper of the button’s ghost”; or of cows, crops, and contemplations; of people, thoughts, and observations.
Humorous to serious—joking to thought provoking: “Let us take you on a walk through rural America—and we hope that you will enjoy the journey,” say the Johnsons.
Bill and Karen show you, "How To Look, Listen, Laugh, And Survive" in the 8 sections of their book:
I. Who Are These People?: author bios plus events recaps up to 1990 (when their first book ends).
II. What’s In It For You?: how the book came about, it's outline, plus "How to Look, Listen, Laugh, and Survive."
III. A Collection Of Recollections: growing up in the 1940’s and ’50’s on Iowa farms.
IV. Journal Journey: journal excerpts of Johnson family farm life 1991 through 2004.
V. A Laugh A Day Keeps The Doctor Away: humorous happenings.
VI. Observations And Thoughts: of a family farm, people, events, and things in our lives.
VII. The Nature Of Things: crops, harvests, GMO’s and genes, cats, cows, and lightning bugs—Mother Nature and her magic.
VIII. Some Serious Selections: addresses an inevitable part of life—death—but also remembering and hope.
Epilogue: two farmers’ perspectives on the family farm and life.
Glossary: words and phrases perhaps unfamiliar to nonfarmers and not found in dictionaries.
Once Upon A Farm: How To Look, Listen, Laugh, And Survive II is a 440 page, softbound book with sturdy, glossy cover with fold back flaps, a full color cover photo of the 1887 Johnson family farm home, color back cover photo of the farm, and 3 dozen inside photos. Self-published in 2005, it has 8 sections and a glossary, is 8"x10"x1 ¼" and weighs about 2 lbs. Each copy of the book is autographed.
