Cream of the Crop - Softcover

Ralph, Leann R

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1591138205 ISBN 13: 9781591138204

Publisher: Booklocker.com, 2005

Synopsis

This is the third book in the Rural Route 2 series. Join the author on her family's farm 40 years ago when small family farms still dotted the countryside. Twenty true stories.

About this title

About the Author

LeAnn R. Ralph earned an undergraduate degree in English with a writing emphasis from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and also earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from UW-Whitewater. She worked as a newspaper reporter for nine years, has taught English at a boys' boarding school, has worked as a substitute teacher and a parish secretary, and is the former editor of the Wisconsin Regional Writer (the quarterly publication of the Wisconsin Regional Writers' Assoc.).

The author lives in rural Wisconsin with her husband, two dogs, two horses and assorted cats and is working on her next book, Where the Green Grass Grows, another collection of true stories.

If you would like to receive notification when LeAnn's next book is available, write to her at E6689 970th Ave., Colfax, WI 54730, or e-mail her at -- bigpines@ruralroute2.com

In addition to Cream of the Crop, LeAnn is the author of the books, Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam (trade paperback; September 2004; $13.95); Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm) (trade paperback; August 2003; $13.95) and Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Writing Oral Histories) (e-book; April 2004; $7.95).

From the Back Cover

Join the author on her family's farm 40 years ago when small family farms still dotted the countryside.

From the Inside Flap

In 2004, the owners of the last dairy farm in our neighborhood sold their cows.

I miss seeing the neighbor's Jerseys turned out to pasture. They used to approach the fence when I went for a walk along the dirt road north of my house, curious, as only cows can be curious, smelling like only cows can smell, bringing with them that sweet bovine scent of grass and fresh air and sunshine, sounding like only cows can sound, with the occasional "mooooo!"--the jingle of their neck chains--the gentle scuffle of hooves moving along their cowpaths.

I miss seeing the newborn calves, too, tucked away in a corner of the pasture, waiting for their momma to return from her trip to the barnyard for a drink of water. And I miss seeing the milk truck go by and waving to the driver if I happened to be outside at that time of day.

Since 1969, Wisconsin has lost 70 percent of its dairy farms and the United States has lost 85 percent. This book is for those who remember the small family dairy farms as I remember them--and for those who will never see a small herd of a dairy cattle grazing peacefully in a green pasture--for those who will never know the wonder of a newborn calf--for those who will never taste `real' whipped cream as we did in Cream of the Crop.

LeAnn R. Ralph
Colfax, Wisconsin

Edition details

• Publisher: Booklocker.com
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1591138205
• ISBN 13: 9781591138204
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 188