Century Farm: One Hundred Years on a Family Farm [Paperback]

The Peterson family farm is one hundred years old and about to enter a new century. Here, in wonderful family anecdotes, the author shares the story of the farm as it grew from a barn and house and granary in the 1890s to a thriving dairy farm in the 1990s. There has been plenty of hard work--sawing down the trees to erect the first buildings, the endless cycle of planting and harvesting, chopping firewood to keep the house warm--but there has also been golf practice on the pasture land, Sunday drives in the family car, and cross-country skiing in the meadows. Over the past hundred years many things on the farm have changed, but many things have stayed the same. There is still one family working together to make the farm a viable business. There is still one kitchen where cookies are baked and meals are cooked to feed family and friends and those who help on the farm. Filled with photos selected from a century's worth of family albums as well as dramatic shots from recent years, this NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book provides a glimpse into the past and the future of one American family farm. Perhaps most valuable is the silent underscoring of the immeasurable rewards of strong family bonds and the fruits of hard work - a message worth carrying into the next century. —Publishers Weekly

Peterson's smooth, personal, descriptive narrative gives young readers a sense of agricultural history and a feeling for what it's like to grow up on a farm. . . . Handsome and enticing. —Booklist

Peterson leads readers from the past to the present, giving an easy sense of history and continuity. —Bulletin of the Center for Children's BooksCris Petersonwas named National Dairy Woman of the Year to honor her writing and leadership in agriculture. She lives in Grantsburg, Wisconsin.

Alvis Upitisis a commercial photographer who has collaborated on a number of books with Cris Peterson. He lives in Hawaii.CN