A sweet and heartwarming Amish romance where no disaster can conquer true love. Dairy farmer Abe Stoltzfus wants to propose to Lavinia Fisher, the beautiful young woman he’s been dating, but being a traditional Amish man, he worries about how he can provide for her. Farming can be uncertain enough with weather conditions, crops not doing well, all manner of uncertainties. And after a bad summer storm and a serious injury from a rooftop tumble, Abe wants to wait until both he and his farm are back on their feet. Lavinia is relieved when Abe survives the fall, yet it seems like it’s only the start of events that threaten their future together. But Lavinia is not only a talented Amish crafter, she’s also the daughter of a farmer. She knows what the life of a farm wife is like and remains optimistic things will turn around. And when Abe continues to drag his feet, Lavinia makes him an interesting proposal. Will Abe be able to resist it—and her?
Sometimes love is found in the most unexpected places—as three blessed men will discover in Rachel J. Good’s heartwarming Amish romance series, set in a bustling Pennsylvania community . . . When an organic farm causes rents to skyrocket at the Valley Green Farmer’s Market, Fern Blauch’s family baked goods stand is driven to the edge of eviction. . . . Until a mysterious temporary reprieve. Fern is confused when she discovers the benefactor is barbecued chicken stand owner—and her longtime crush—Gideon Hartzler. She’s grateful, but pridefully tells him she intends to pay him back. If only she can find a new place to sell her wares . . . To stay competitive, and help as many others as he can, Gideon expands his stand to provide full meals—including dessert. That’s where Fern comes in. As the two work long hours, side-by-side, business booms—and so does their attraction. Still, the demands of caring for aging parents and struggling relatives cause them to hide any feelings beyond friendship. But as new challenges emerge and Gideon and Fern turn more deeply to their faith, and to each other, will love find a place at their table?
A midwife and single father have a second chance at the family they've always dreamed of in this heartwarming Amish romance from award-winning author Barbara Cameron. Widow Rebecca Zook adores her work delivering bopplin in her close-knit Amish community, but the young midwife secretly wonders if she'll ever find love again or have a family of her own. When she meets handsome newcomer Samuel Miller, her connection with the widowed single father is immediate-Rebecca even bonds with his sweet little girl. It feels like a perfect match, yet Samuel seems hesitant . . . In Paradise, Lancaster County, Samuel hoped to find the fresh start he and his dochder need . . . and perhaps a second chance for love. He never imagined he'd discover both so quickly and in one lovely, kind woman. But as Samuel falls for Rebecca, he worries that her job will only remind him of his past heartaches. Rebecca isn't willing to sacrifice her beloved calling, but she is ready to embrace the future . . . if only Samuel can open his heart once more.
'Fluent, persuasive and surely right.' Evening Standard The inside story of the fight for and against genetic modification in food. Mark Lynas was one of the original GM field wreckers. Back in the 1990s – working undercover with his colleagues in the environmental movement – he would descend on trial sites of genetically modified crops at night and hack them to pieces. Two decades later, most people around the world – from New York to China – still think that 'GMO' foods are bad for their health or likely to damage the environment. But Mark has changed his mind. This book explains why. In 2013, in a world-famous recantation speech, Mark apologised for having destroyed GM crops. He spent the subsequent years touring Africa and Asia, and working with plant scientists who are using this technology to help smallholder farmers in developing countries cope better with pests, diseases and droughts. This book lifts the lid on the anti-GMO craze and shows how science was left by the wayside as a wave of public hysteria swept the world. Mark takes us back to the origins of the technology and introduces the scientific pioneers who invented it. He explains what led him to question his earlier assumptions about GM food, and talks to both sides of this fractious debate to see what still motivates worldwide opposition today. In the process he asks – and answers – the killer question: how did we all get it so wrong on GMOs? 'An important contribution to an issue with enormous potential for benefiting humanity.' Stephen Pinker 'I warmly recommend it.' Philip Pullman
In a community where conformity flourishes, seeds of Rhoda’s odd behavior were planted long ago. Can she cultivate her relationships with the same care and tenderness that she gives her beloved garden? Old Order Amish Rhoda Byler’s unusual gift and her remarkable abilities to grow herbs and berries have caused many to think her odd. As rumors mount that Rhoda’s “gift” is a detriment to the community, she chooses isolation, spending her time in her fruit garden and on her thriving canning business. Miles away in Harvest Mills, Samuel King struggles to keep his family’s apple orchard profitable. As the eldest son, Samuel farms with his brothers, the irrepressible Jacob and brash Eli, while his longtime girlfriend Catherine remains hopeful that Samuel will marry her when he feels financially stable. Meanwhile, Samuel’s younger sister Leah is testing all the boundaries during her rumschpringe, and finds herself far from home in Rhoda’s garden after a night of partying gone badly. But Leah’s poor choices serve as a bridge between Rhoda and the King family when a tragic mistake in the orchard leaves Samuel searching for solutions. Rhoda’s expertise in canning could be the answer, but she struggles with guilt over the tragic death of her sister and doesn’t trust herself outside her garden walls. As the lines between business, love, and family begin to blur, can Rhoda finally open up to a new life? And what effect will this odd, amazing woman have on the entire King family?
New York Times eBook bestseller! One fateful starless night, 17-year-old Ira Wagler got up at 2 AM, left a scribbled note under his pillow, packed all of his earthly belongings into in a little black duffel bag, and walked away from his home in the Amish settlement of Bloomfield, Iowa. Now, in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life—from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age 16, to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age 26. Growing Up Amish is the true story of one man’s quest to discover who he is and where he belongs. Readers will laugh, cry, and be inspired by this charming yet poignant coming of age story set amidst the backdrop of one of the most enigmatic cultures in America today—the Old Order Amish.
In this post-apocalyptic novel from Newbery Medal–winning author Robert C. O’Brien, a teen girl struggling to survive in the wake of unimaginable disaster comes across another survivor. Ann Burden is sixteen years old and completely alone. The world as she once knew it is gone, ravaged by a nuclear war that has taken everyone from her. For the past year, she has lived in a remote valley with no evidence of any other survivors. But the smoke from a distant campfire shatters Ann’s solitude. Someone else is still alive and making his way toward the valley. Who is this man? What does he want? Can he be trusted? Both excited and terrified, Ann soon realizes there may be worse things than being the last person on Earth.
At a time when food is becoming increasingly scarce in many parts of the world and food prices are skyrocketing, no industry is more important than agriculture. Humans have been farming for thousands of years, and yet agriculture has undergone more fundamental changes in the past 80 years than in the previous several centuries. In 1900, 30 million American farmers tilled the soil or tended livestock; today there are fewer than 4.5 million farmers who feed a population four times larger than it was at the beginning of the century. Fifty years ago, the planet could not have sustained a population of 6.5 billion; now, commercial and industrial agriculture ensure that millions will not die from starvation. Farmers are able to feed an exponentially growing planet because the greatest industrial revolution in history has occurred in agriculture since 1929, with U.S. farmers leading the way. Productivity on American farms has increased tenfold, even as most small farmers and tenants have been forced to find other work. Today, only 300,000 farms produce approximately ninety percent of the total output, and overproduction, largely subsidized by government programs and policies, has become the hallmark of modern agriculture. A Revolution Down on the Farm: The Transformation of American Agriculture since 1929 charts the profound changes in farming that have occurred during author Paul K. Conkin's lifetime. His personal experiences growing up on a small Tennessee farm complement compelling statistical data as he explores America's vast agricultural transformation and considers its social, political, and economic consequences. He examines the history of American agriculture, showing how New Deal innovations evolved into convoluted commodity programs following World War II. Conkin assesses the skills, new technologies, and government policies that helped transform farming in America and suggests how new legislation might affect farming in decades to come. Although the increased production and mechanization of farming has been an economic success story for Americans, the costs are becoming increasingly apparent. Small farmers are put out of business when they cannot compete with giant, non-diversified corporate farms. Caged chickens and hogs in factory-like facilities or confined dairy cattle require massive amounts of chemicals and hormones ultimately ingested by consumers. Fertilizers, new organic chemicals, manure disposal, and genetically modified seeds have introduced environmental problems that are still being discovered. A Revolution Down on the Farm concludes with an evaluation of farming in the twenty-first century and a distinctive meditation on alternatives to our present large scale, mechanized, subsidized, and fossil fuel and chemically dependent system.
"Gideon Troyer might share a farm with his twin brother, but his true contentment comes from his toy shop. His life is full but he wouldn't mind a partner to share it with. When his love interest, Hannah Stoltzfus, opened her quilt ship last year just two doors down from his store, he couldn't believe his good fortune. Now they've been dating for a while and he's just about ready to propose, when an unexpected surprise lands on his door... Hannah Stoltzfus looks forward to her daily morning coffee dates with Gideon. Though she and the dependable woodworker haven't spoken of their intentions just yet, Hannah is eager to take their relationship to the next level. But when she finds a baby left at Gideon's store, she's curious as to why he was left there and why the baby has a dimple just like Gideon's. Still, she knows her feelings for Gideon are real so she's willing to help him figure out just who this baby belongs to.."--
A superb new experience and adventure for both young and senior readers to visually see and appreciate the counties of Southern Maryland, and the years of growing tobacco. Mr. Sharp skillfully takes us back to the year 1634 and the first landing of European immigrants on American shores at St. Clements Island. They ventured from England on two wind-driven ships: the "ARK" and the "DOVE." With considerable research, he moves us through a short history of our earliest beginnings of Maryland's birth. The material is easy reading and beckons' the reader to become part of the story of Southern Maryland's growth and economic importance to the State. The author has a nice transition to the short history of Barns themselves; why they were "Red"; introducing Quilt Barns, Round Barns, and the famous barn advertisers that promoted, the rare to be seen, "Mail Pouch Tobacco Barns." Next is a wonderful introduction to the farmers best friends: Cats, and the Barn Owl. We discover how they are truly worth their weight in Gold. A more somber view of labor employment is followed by the many ways of drying tobacco. Mr. Sharp introduces us to each the three lower counties with a short history of their contributions to expansion and agricultural production. This is followed by personal interviews of local farmers, and how the Maryland Tobacco Buyout of 2000 affected each in their decision to participate or pass. Far more accepted the cash buyout than the State anticipated. Remaining growers of tobacco today are the Amish, Mennonites, and those farmers with deep personal objections to the buyout proposal. Finally, he engages your attention to the subjects of restoration and preservation, as seen through the eyes of a three-year old child: "Priceless". In closing, the writer suggests a major challenge to all farm families. "Sadly, you are probably the last generation of your breed for demonstrating work ethics, perseverance, and perfection in everything you do. The pride you exhibit must become contagious."
