Dispatches From Farm Country

A widening gap between urban and rural cultures has left America divided and bewildered. Fortunately, photojournalist Jim Patrico has spent more than 40 years exploring the rural side of that gap. The result is "Dispatches from Farm Country," an insightful and often humorous recounting of a journalist's travels through rural communities. Chapter by chapter, Patrico focuses on real farmers and ranchers: a California dairy farmer who fosters babies born in prison because she can't stand the thought of little ones suffering for their mothers' bad decisions; the owners of the two oldest farms in America who feel the presence of their ancestors walking their fields; a farmer whose fall from a barn roof led his family to add farm-brewed beer business; the fifth-generation Black farmer whose family still contends with racism; the Kansas ranch couple whose love blossomed when he braved a 1930s blizzard on horseback to visit her for Valentine's Day; and an Appalachian farmer whose neighbors deal drugs and fly a Confederate flag in their front yard. "Dispatches from Farm Country" tells intimate stories that enchant and inform. They give the reader a better understanding of rural America and help bridge the gaps between cities and small towns.

REVIEWS

*Each chapter is filled with the award-winning writer’s vivid imagery, mixed with the emotion and personality that, as journalists, we aren’t often afforded the opportunity to convey in stories. From a professional standpoint, “Dispatches” will influence the way I write and tell stories. From a personal standpoint, I am leaving the last chapter unread because I don’t want the book to end.---Bill Spiegel, Contributing Editor, The Furrow.

*Jim Patrico is a master storyteller who brings to life the people, places, events and issues of rural America. Over a 40 year career, the award-winning writer and photojournalist traveled from coast to coast and around the world reporting on agriculture for major ag media companies. Patrico’s natural curiosity and unlimited talents helped him to craft compelling stories, descriptive and unforgettable narratives. He is one of the finest ag journalists this profession has ever had and has left an enduring mark for generations to come.--Gregg Hillyer, Executive Editor, Progressive Farmer.

“Dispatches From Farm Country by Jim Patrico is an insightful and beautifully crafted chronicle of rural America through the eyes of a seasoned journalist. Based on years of reporting, the author combines personal recollections, historical background, and firsthand interviews to create a close portrait of evolving farming communities. With lyrical prose and a deep respect for the people he writes about, Patrico invites readers into barns, back roads, small-town cafés, and state fairs, offering a window into the soul of farm country.”

                                                            --- Carol Thompson for Readers’ Favorite

“If there were ever to be a Mount Rushmore of ag journalism, Jim Patrico would certainly be on it. Jim spent decades writing and shooting photography for The Progressive Farmer and other big name ag journals….

“[In Dispatches From Farm Country] Jim takes a sociologist or an anthropologist's view, delivering one example after another of those characteristics that make rural culture so unique. Self-reliance, determination, maybe more than a bit of stubbornness….

“In one sense, it is a collection of stories from rural America and beyond, but in another very real sense, it is a literary and exceptionally well-written study of rural anthropology….

“And the end result is, in my opinion, a quiet little masterpiece of a book that deserves a top spot on your reading list.”

                                                            --- David Jones, host of the podcast Of Life & Land