Land Rich, Cash Poor: My Family's Hope and the Untold History of the Disappearing American Farmer

by Brian Reisinger Narrated by Brian Reisinger

Overview

The hidden history of an economic and cultural catastrophe that is threatening our very food supply-the disappearance of the American farmer.

Taking on this story of heart and hardship, award-winning journalist Brian Reisinger weaves forgotten eras of American history with his own family's four-generation fight for survival in Midwestern farm country. Readers learn the truth about America's most detrimental and unexplained socioeconomic crisis: How the family farms that feed us went from cutting a middle-class path through the Great Depression to barely making ends meet in modern America. Along the way, they'll see what it truly takes to feed our country: accidents that can kill or maim; weather that blesses or threatens; resilience in the face of crushing economic crises, from inflation to COVID-19; and the tradition that presses down on each generation when you're not just fighting for your job, you're fighting for your heritage.

With newly analyzed data, sharp historical analysis, honest debate, and personal storytelling, Reisinger reveals the roots of a problem with stakes as high as they come. A vulnerable food supply, soaring prices for American families, environmental and ecological decay, farmer suicides, addictions, a deepening urban-rural divide, and more worries than ever about what's for dinner. These are all becoming the hallmarks of a food system that has long stood as a modern miracle. Land Rich, Cash Poor offers the honest truth about these issues, and a candid look at what we can do about them-before it's too late.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Land Rich, Cash Poor

"An anthem to the family farm in America . . . The book follows a procession of efforts by other authors laboring to explain America’s farm troubles but few are as lyrically written or as deeply and personally detailed." —The Associated Press (AP News)

"Fills me with admiration for the resilence of Wisconsin farmers . . . Reminds us not only how physically demanding farming is, but also how dangerous it can be, with harrowing accounts of falls and accidents to adults and children. As Reisinger describes the lives of ancestors, farming also can be isolating and lonely, especially for taciturn men who feel the emotional weight of this perilous occupation. . . . If you've complained about the post-COVID increase in food prices, spending some time with Reisinger's book will help you understand what and why you're bemoaning." —Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“This deeply personal tale of a family farm—and family—teetering on the brink succeeds by showing us this is not a rural crisis, this is an American crisis bound to touch city mice and country mice alike. The dramatic elements strike to the bone, the history and context establish a complexity not addressable by simplistic politics, and by avoiding sentimentality and caricature, Reisinger leaves us with a green shoot of hope.” —Michael Perry, New York Times bestselling author of Population: 485
 
“A call from rural America, Brian Reisinger's love of family, farming and Wisconsin shines through as he unspools a four-generation saga of hard work on a hard land set against the backdrop of relentless economic change.” —Bill Glauber, National Headliner Award-winning journalist
 
“In rich and lyrical prose, Brian Reisinger tells the engrossing story of his family’s 100-year quest to establish and preserve the Wisconsin dairy farm that has sustained four generations of Reisingers in body and soul. He shares the moments of joy, disappointment, and doubt that define modern farm life in America and he digs deep to discover his own place in that world. Land Rich, Cash Poor is a beautiful book. You won’t want to put it down.” —Peter Slevin, contributing writer for The New Yorker and author of Michelle Obama: A Life
 
"A highly personal story of the disappearing American farmer. Well worth reading for those who care about what we eat and where it comes from."  —Mike Gousha, Emmy-award-winning journalist and PBS documentarian

“Only a farm boy could tell this story this well. Brian Reisinger’s Land Rich, Cash Poor is a remarkable portrait of how rural families live, work and struggle with issues that confront most families. A fascinating glimpse of American life.” —Lamar Alexander, author and former U.S. senator
 
“In a book that is both prodigiously researched and deeply personal, Brian Reisinger examines America's farming crisis through the lens of his own family's farm. The result is informative, highly readable, infuriating, and heartbreaking. His farming ancestors would be proud.” —Doug Moe, national award-winning journalist and author of Tommy: My Journey of a Lifetime (with Tommy G. Thompson), and The Right Thing to Do
 
“Land Rich, Cash Poor: My Family’s Hope and the Untold History of the Disappearing American Farmer helps the reader, rural and urban alike, to appreciate what is going on in rural America as we see fewer and fewer family farms. Author Reisinger helps us understand the importance of this issue, in a compelling narrative.” —Jerry Apps, national award-winning historian and author of On Farms and Rural Communities
 
“As the number of family farms dwindles, author Brian Reisinger shares a poignant account of his family’s agricultural heritage in Wisconsin spanning four generations. He reflects on the joys and hardships that come with farming, and his deep attachment to land first chosen by his great-grandfather. Reisinger also sheds light on the challenges that threaten to erase this cherished legacy, and sincerely vows ‘I am here to share this with you because I will forever be a farmer’s son.’” —Sara Rath, author of About Cows, The Complete Cow, The Complete Pig

"[A] beautifully told, unflinching account . . . digestible data and spectacular prose." —Madison Magazine
 

Product Details

BN ID:	2940192212431
Publisher:	Oasis Audio
Publication date:	08/13/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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