Water at the Roots: Poems and Insights of a Visionary Farmer [Paperback]

In a society uprooted by two world wars, industrialization, and dehumanizing technology, a revolutionary farmer turns to poetry to reconnect his people to the land and one another.

A farmer, poet, activist, pastor, and mystic, Britts (19171949)has been called a British Wendell Berry. His story is no romantic agrarian elegy, but a life lived in the thick of history. As his country plunged headlong into World War II, he joined an international pacifist community, the Bruderhof, and was soon forced to leave Europe for South America.

Amidst these great upheavals, his response to root himself in faith, to dedicate himself to building community, to restore the land he farmed, and to use his gift with words to turn people from their madness  speaks forcefully into our time. In an age still wracked by racism, nationalism, materialism, and ecological devastation, the life he chose and the poetry he composed remain a prophetic challenge.One of the most powerful books Ive ever read.Alive with profound spiritual and practical insights, Brittss words are timeless. You will be deeply moved by his humble conviction expressed in thoughtful action.--Joel Salatin,author, Folks, This Aint NormalThere is a deep sense of realitytrue, eternal, and human realityin Britts work& Here was a man who clearly articulated and lived out his beliefs& a man who may have been quietly composing while hoeing, whose spirit ever sat at the feet of his Master while his body was at work.--Remembered Arts JournalWhat to do with ones life?Britts answered this question as one who loved the land, its creatures, and its people. For those seeking a healthy and peaceful world, this book will be a provocation to a better way of living.--Norman Wirzba,author, Food and FaithThere is much beauty in Brittss thoughts,and a quiet radicalism too.&He warns that the worst possibility of progress would be to lose the organic conlól