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The Farmer in All of Us: An American Portrait
What began as an ode to the American farmer has evolved into an anthem to an iconic American way of life. Inspiring and moving, the book follows the themes of the heartwarming speech by legendary radio commentator Paul Harvey, “So God Made a Farmer.” Based on the TV commercial watched by millions during "The Big Game" in 2013, this book dives deep into the lives and work of farmers as well as the photographers who captured them. It features more than 200 photographs shot by ten world-class photographers, including National Geographic's William Albert Allard, and shines a spotlight on the American farmer in a compelling photographic poem.
- GenresPhotography
304 pages, Hardcover
First published March 4, 2014
31 people want to read
About the author
Paul Harvey
14 books10 followersPaul Harvey Aurandt, better known as Paul Harvey, was an American radio broadcaster for the ABC Radio Networks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ha...
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There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ha...
Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 24, 2021
"And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, 'I need a caretaker.' So God made a farmer."--Paul Harvey
"I don't know what I would do if I couldn't farm. It's what fulfills everything I've ever wanted or needed. It's all I've got or see myself doing. That's my attachment to the land. It's the greatest thing on earth."--Casey Clark, Farmer
"I think of this a lot: I think, you know I could have been born in a different area, raised in a different lifestyle, or in a different country, and I am so thankful that I was born in the ranching community and in America. I am thankful for that, and I thank God about every night for that. I am that thankful."--Mary Roberts, Farmer
"I feel that if you're doing something that you don't like to do it's a job, and I don't consider this as a job."--Dave Clark, Farmer
I stumbled onto this book by accident. I'm an Agriculture broadcaster and I was doing some research on Paul Harvey and came across this book. It is a quick but powerful read. I thoroughly loved it!!
"I don't know what I would do if I couldn't farm. It's what fulfills everything I've ever wanted or needed. It's all I've got or see myself doing. That's my attachment to the land. It's the greatest thing on earth."--Casey Clark, Farmer
"I think of this a lot: I think, you know I could have been born in a different area, raised in a different lifestyle, or in a different country, and I am so thankful that I was born in the ranching community and in America. I am thankful for that, and I thank God about every night for that. I am that thankful."--Mary Roberts, Farmer
"I feel that if you're doing something that you don't like to do it's a job, and I don't consider this as a job."--Dave Clark, Farmer
I stumbled onto this book by accident. I'm an Agriculture broadcaster and I was doing some research on Paul Harvey and came across this book. It is a quick but powerful read. I thoroughly loved it!!
February 8, 2016
“The Farmer in All of US”, a book created in partnership with National Geographic, Ram Trucks, and the National FFA Organization, details the lives of farmers across the country, including their daily routines, philosophies and beliefs, passion for what they do, and perception on the future of the agricultural industry. This compilation of stories was created in response to the widely popular commercial honoring American farmers, which aired during Super Bowl XLVII. It featured Paul Harvey’s “So God Made a Farmer” speech, first presented to FFA members at the National FFA Convention in 1978. Harvey’s speech was monumental both because of his iconic voice presentation and because of his touching portrayal of the typical farmer. The commercial was produced by Ram trucks in 2013 and gained a tremendous amount of attention. Ram agreed to partner with the National FFA Association and donate money to the organization’s scholarship fund based on the number of views, which amounted to over 5 million, and resulted in a donation of $1,000,000.
“The Farmer in All of US” delves into the lives of American farmers, allowing the public to catch a glimpse of the ins and outs of agricultural life. The book focuses largely on images. Powerful photographs detail the lives of the featured individuals and accompany their personal stories. The book’s photographs were taken by a team of photographers selected by National Geographic as some of the best in the country. These included William Albert Allard, Andy Anderson, Jim Arndt, Daniel Beltra, Mark Gooch, Andy Mahr, Kurt Markus, David G. Spielman, Matthew Turley, and Olaf Veltman. These ten individuals captured images in nearly every U.S. state in an effort to convey the broad spectrum that encompasses American agriculture.
The images and stories presented in the book demonstrate several common themes, one of which is the care and concern that farmers have, not only for their crops and livestock, but for everyone around them. Hard work is another. Many of the farmers discuss their perpetually long work days and the struggles they face with weather, equipment malfunctions, and other obstacles. Even so, they never complain in the interviews because they are incredibly passionate and committed to what they do. In addition, most all of them explained that they live a family centered lifestyle. Many were excited at the thought of their children being involved in the agricultural industry one day, and many of them shared traditional conservative views.
They also touch on the fact that, though much of the public thinks that farming has remained relatively static over the years, both the methods used and the scope of the industry continue to change. Typical farmers who labor heavily to produce crops and livestock are still a central component, but they are now joined by scientists who develop new seed technologies, breeders who create the best possible genetic combinations, businessman who negotiate the prices of commodity markets, industry representatives who educate consumers and policy makers about agriculture, and so many more. Today’s agriculturalists come from all backgrounds and live all over the world. They are innovative problem solvers dedicated to the increasingly challenging task of feeding the world. I think this book does an excellent job of signifying this shift in the industry and I would hope that reading about such diverse farmers around the country would help my students see that for themselves.
The photographers included their own notes, and many of them indicated that they were shocked by the farmer’s stories. There is currently a huge gap in communication between producers and consumers. Pieces like this attempt to fill that gap and allow for more open conversations about the realities of the industry. The book and the commercial were created to honor American agriculturalists, and as an opportunity to shed light on many positive aspects of an area which is often portrayed negatively by the media.
I intend to use this book in an agricultural education setting in a high school classroom. It would be a fairly easy read for high school students, but I believe the book’s message is powerful enough that it’s worth reading and sharing with them. Also, because it is a fairly easy read, it would be easy to incorporate into lesson plans with plenty of time for meaningful reflection activities. My goal in presenting this book to my students would be both to expand their previous ideas of the industry and to teach them the impact and importance of sharing our stories, both in agriculture and in life.
“The Farmer in All of US” delves into the lives of American farmers, allowing the public to catch a glimpse of the ins and outs of agricultural life. The book focuses largely on images. Powerful photographs detail the lives of the featured individuals and accompany their personal stories. The book’s photographs were taken by a team of photographers selected by National Geographic as some of the best in the country. These included William Albert Allard, Andy Anderson, Jim Arndt, Daniel Beltra, Mark Gooch, Andy Mahr, Kurt Markus, David G. Spielman, Matthew Turley, and Olaf Veltman. These ten individuals captured images in nearly every U.S. state in an effort to convey the broad spectrum that encompasses American agriculture.
The images and stories presented in the book demonstrate several common themes, one of which is the care and concern that farmers have, not only for their crops and livestock, but for everyone around them. Hard work is another. Many of the farmers discuss their perpetually long work days and the struggles they face with weather, equipment malfunctions, and other obstacles. Even so, they never complain in the interviews because they are incredibly passionate and committed to what they do. In addition, most all of them explained that they live a family centered lifestyle. Many were excited at the thought of their children being involved in the agricultural industry one day, and many of them shared traditional conservative views.
They also touch on the fact that, though much of the public thinks that farming has remained relatively static over the years, both the methods used and the scope of the industry continue to change. Typical farmers who labor heavily to produce crops and livestock are still a central component, but they are now joined by scientists who develop new seed technologies, breeders who create the best possible genetic combinations, businessman who negotiate the prices of commodity markets, industry representatives who educate consumers and policy makers about agriculture, and so many more. Today’s agriculturalists come from all backgrounds and live all over the world. They are innovative problem solvers dedicated to the increasingly challenging task of feeding the world. I think this book does an excellent job of signifying this shift in the industry and I would hope that reading about such diverse farmers around the country would help my students see that for themselves.
The photographers included their own notes, and many of them indicated that they were shocked by the farmer’s stories. There is currently a huge gap in communication between producers and consumers. Pieces like this attempt to fill that gap and allow for more open conversations about the realities of the industry. The book and the commercial were created to honor American agriculturalists, and as an opportunity to shed light on many positive aspects of an area which is often portrayed negatively by the media.
I intend to use this book in an agricultural education setting in a high school classroom. It would be a fairly easy read for high school students, but I believe the book’s message is powerful enough that it’s worth reading and sharing with them. Also, because it is a fairly easy read, it would be easy to incorporate into lesson plans with plenty of time for meaningful reflection activities. My goal in presenting this book to my students would be both to expand their previous ideas of the industry and to teach them the impact and importance of sharing our stories, both in agriculture and in life.
November 23, 2014
Really inspirational book about the lives of farmers. The photographs are heartwarming and real. The hard work that goes into growing food for our consumption is simply humbling. Wonderful coffee table book.
February 25, 2019
Would of been so much better if they had involved more states instead of focusing on the same ones over and over. This is also a book based on a Dodge Ram commercial so it also can been seen as a sales booklet pushing that only "real" farmers drive Dodge trucks.
May 6, 2016
Wow! These images are amazing. They don't fail to inspire and make you proud to be American. It really shows you hard work, not so much text. But not really needed.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews