Book Description

In this book of poetry, Levi embraces those questions with a whirlwind of visions. He takes us from the ice age to the future, to cultures around the world and back in time; from stunning beauty to moments of horror; from purple coneflowers to stop signs; from the eternal change of seasons to the work of wasps and bees. He recognizes the challenges, but his words bend towards hope. There is peace, for him, in the road to resilience - the clover, the earthworms, the dirt staying put, the rye pollen in the spring. But more than anything, his visions force us to ask: Where did we come from? Where are we going? Where do we want to go? As Levi wonders, "Where will we set off walkin' / beyond dreams by dawn / with our daughters on our backs?" Nick Ohde, Practical Farmers of Iowa Levi Lyle grew up on a farm near Keota, Iowa, and graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Science Education with an Environmental emphasis and a MAE in Post-Secondary Education. After ten years of teaching, counseling, and working as an academic advisor, Levi and his wife Jill returned to the farm where they raise their four children. Along with his interest in growing a variety of native fruits, Levi and his family grow and distribute fresh Aronia berries seasonally to local markets. Processing and marketing wild fruits is a passion that Levi feels brings balance to his other agricultural endeavors. Levi has worked as an organic inspector and now consults on the topic of organic transition. He has been a local leader in conservation no-till farming using roller crimping, a practice applied to cover crops that boosts sequestration on the prairie ecosystem - a role once filled by the buffalo in stampede. He passionately speaks about solving the global greenhouse gas dilemma by innovating Midwest farm policy to allow farmers to lead.