The Land Still Lives
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“Apps is a man of ideas who is sensitive to the touch, the smells, and the feel of doing things by hand, today and a hundred years ago.”—from the foreword by Senator Gaylord Nelson
Originally published in 1970, The Land Still Lives is the first book by Wisconsin’s greatest rural philosopher, Jerry Apps. Written when he was still a young agriculture professor at the University of Wisconsin, The Land Still Lives was readers’ first introduction to Jerry’s farm in central Wisconsin, called Roshara, and the surrounding community of Skunk’s Hollow. This special 50th-anniversary edition features a new epilogue, in which Jerry revisits his philosophy of caring for the land so it in turn will care for us. This is vintage Apps, essential reading for Jerry’s legions of fans—and for all who, like Jerry, wish “to develop a relationship with nature and all its mystery and wonder.”
Never Curse the Rain: A Farm Boy’s Reflections on Water
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Water is still a touchstone in Jerry’s life, and he explores the ways he’s found it helpful in soothing a troubled mind or releasing creativity. He also discusses his concerns about the future of water and ensuring we always have enough. For, as Jerry writes, “Water is one of the most precious things on this planet, necessary for all life, and we must do everything we can to protect it.”
Whispers and Shadows: A Naturalist’s Memoir
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In these times of technological innovation and fast-paced electronic communication, we often take nature for granted—or even consider it a hindrance to our human endeavors. In Whispers and Shadows: A Naturalist’s Memoir, Jerry explores such topics as the human need for wilderness, rediscovering a sense of wonder, and his father’s advice to “listen for the whispers” and “look in the shadows” to learn nature’s deepest lessons.
Old Farm: A History
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Jerry tells the story of his land, from the last great glacier that dug out its valleys and formed its hills, to his own family’s forty-year relationship with the beloved farm they call Roshara. Breathtakingly beautiful color photographs by Jerry’s son, Steve (a professional photographer), highlight the ever-changing beauty of the land in every season, and hint at the spiritual gifts that are the true bounty this family reaps from Roshara.
The Quiet Season: Remembering Country Winters
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Jerry recalls winters growing up on a farm in central Wisconsin during the latter years of the Depression and through World War II. Wisconsin winters then were a time of reflection, of planning for next year, and of families drawing together. Jerry describes how winter influenced farm families and suggests that those of us who grow up with harsh northern winters are profoundly affected in ways we often are not aware.
Roshara Journal: Chronicling Four Seasons, Fifty Years, and 120 Acres
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A photographic diary of a small Midwestern farm and the family who’ve made it their home.In Roshara Journal, father-and-son team Jerry and Steve Apps share the monthly happenings at their family’s farm in central Wisconsin. Featuring Steve’s stunning photos and fifty years of Jerry’s journal entries, Roshara Journal captures the changes—both from month to month and over the decades—on the landscape and farmstead.
Jerry Apps: Stories From The Land 