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Welcome to www.jerryapps.com home of the Author, Storyteller and Historian, Jerry Apps. Email jerry: jerryappsauthor@gmail.com.
PBS Specials - Watch Jerry's 7 PBS specials online:
- Jerry Apps: Food and Memories - Jerry and daughter Susan share memories and stories surrounding a cookbook they wrote based on Eleanor Apps' recipe box.
- Jerry Apps: Telling Your Story - Jerry Apps leads a special storytelling workshop in Wild Rose, WI.
- Jerry Apps: One Room Country School - vivid stories from his time as a student at Chain O'Lake School.
- Jerry Apps: Never Curse the Rain - Jerry shares memories of water in rural life.
- The Land with Jerry Apps - Jerry shares his passion for conservation and local farming with his two grandsons.
- A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps - Jerry remembers country winters spent on his family’s farm in Central Wisconsin.
- Jerry Apps: A Farm Story - A portrait of Wisconsin farm life through the eyes of a boy growing up in Waushara County.
Order Jerry's PBS Documentaries on DVD - Check here to see information on how to order Jerry's WPT Documentaries on DVD Jerry is on Facebook - Follow him to see what he's up to here. Latest Books On Farms and Rural Communities: An Agricultural Ethic for the Future - In a twenty-first-century landscape marked by unprecedented challenges, the relevance of agriculture and farms has never been more apparent. From the unsettling shortages experienced during the pandemic to recent fluctuations in the cost and availability of basic grocery items due to historic droughts and climate impacts, Americans are being reminded daily of the importance of rural communities. (March, 2024) - Buy Local with Bookshop.org.
Planting an Idea: A Guidebook to Critical and Creative Thinking About Environmental Problems (April, 2023) - This book is designed to help you figure out what your position is on a particular environmental problem, and ultimately not only know what your position is but helps provide evidence to back up your position. And not just any evidence, but accurate, verifiable evidence from a reputable, reliable source. So, in a way, this is a guidebook for examining and thinking critically and creatively about the important environmental problems that face our planet today. Buy Local with Bookshop.org.
More than Words: A Memoir of a Writing Life (November, 2022) - In this combination memoir and craft book, award-winning author Jerry Apps shares the next phase in his life story begun in Limping through Life and Once a Professor. Beginning with a boyhood surrounded by storytellers, Jerry takes readers along on his path to becoming one of the Midwest’s best-known and most revered writers. In characteristic no-nonsense style, he shares the joys, disappointments, and frustrations of the writing life and describes the genesis and creation of many of his best-known books. In recounting his nearly six-decade writing career, Jerry provides an insider’s view into the creative process, delving into sources for ideas, research strategies, and guidelines and essential tools for writing. Along the way he recalls his relationships with publishers, editors, TV producers, librarians, booksellers, and others and shares a scrapbook’s worth of stories—some funny, some heartwarming, a few of them harrowing—from the road. A book for book lovers! Buy Local with Bookshop.org.
Meet Me on the Midway: A History of Wisconsin Fairs (July, 2022) - Jerry Apps explores the history of county and state fairs in Wisconsin, from their earliest incarnations as livestock exhibitions to today's multitude of exhibits and demonstrations, grandstand entertainment, games and rides, and competitions of all sorts. Drawing on his extensive research, interviews, and personal experience as a 4-H leader, county extension agent, fair judge, and lifelong fairgoer, Apps takes readers back through 178 years of Wisconsin fair history, covering everything from horsepulling and calf-showing contests to exhibit judging to the roar of gasoline engines powering the midway rides. He evokes the sights and sounds of fairs through the ages while digging in to the political and social forces that shaped the fair into an icon of our rural heritage. Illustrated with vintage and modern photos and featuring the voices of exhibitors, judges, volunteers, and visitors, Meet Me on the Midway vividly captures the thrills and cherished memories of these beloved annual gatherings. Buy Local with Bookshop.org.
A summer of Peas and Pickles (March, 2022) - Bill Steiner, a farm boy, has just completed his first year of studies at the University of Wisconsin. To return to college in the fall, he knows he needs extra money. He takes a job at a pea cannery where he manages a small group of men. One of them, an alcoholic, threatens Bill with a gun when Bill empties the worker’s bottle. Later in the summer, Bill manages a small pickle factory. He is learning that being the boss is more than a little challenging. Working with men processing peas and pickles offers learning experiences for Bill well beyond what he expected. Buy Local with Bookshop.org.
Settlers Valley (March, 2021) - In this eminently readable story, Jerry Apps delves into the heart of small-town America. Reckoning with timely problems and opinions that divide us, he shows us the power in restoring our relationships with nature and our communities. Buy Local with Bookshop.org.
The Wild Oak (March, 2021) - Billy Steiner, 16, is trying to decide what to do after high school, when so many adults seem to have predetermined this for him. Bill's search for answers is complicated when he encounters the mysterious happenings of the Wild Oak. Stories from the past say this tree allows people to look ahead in time. In a setting that portrays small-town and farm life in the 1950s, Bill is determined to solve the mystery of the tree so he can visualize his future and make decisions about the direction his life should take. Buy Local with Bookshop.org.
The Old Timer Says: A Writing Journal (October, 2020) - Everyone has a story to tell. In The Old Timer Says, author and longtime writing teacher Jerry Apps provides writers and non-writers alike space and inspiration to capture their own stories. Jerry introduces The Old Timer Says by emphasizing the benefits of journaling and sharing his lifelong habit of keeping a journal. He advises that a journal or diary is a personal thing and there is no “right way” to keep one. You might dash off only a few words or write long, flowing pages of text. Your entries could consist of notes on the weather, recipes you’d like to cook, career or travel goals, favorite song lyrics, notes from your dreams, or short stories starring your own made-up characters. You might include sketches or photographs or other visual tidbits. “It doesn’t matter how much you write or what you write, only that you write,” Jerry says.
On the journal’s lined pages, Jerry includes a collection of his favorite “Old Timer” sayings—some funny, some thought-provoking, and all inspired by the one-liners, bits of philosophy, and advice he heard from farmers he knew growing up. They serve as gentle writing prompts while reminding folks that our personal histories are worth recording. Buy Local with IndieBound.
Cheese: The Making of a Wisconsin Tradition (2nd Edition) (September, 2020) - Wisconsin has not always been the dairy state, but cheese is a notable part of its heritage. Capturing the voices of farmers, milk haulers, makers, and graders, Jerry Apps provides a rich view into the history of cheese in the state, beginning with its humble origins in farmhouse kitchens. As he explores the extraordinary diversity of cheese products, he peppers his lively narrative with obscure lore.
In this updated edition of a classic, Apps examines tumultuous changes in the business over the past twenty years, including the impacts of corporate megafarms and the rise of artisanal producers. Vivid historical photographs and striking portraits of modern family-operated factories reveal the delicate balance between art and science that goes into the process of turning ordinary milk into a wide variety of flavors, from the ubiquitous cheddar to sublime delicacies. Through these stories, we can come to better appreciate the remarkable farmers and producers that shaped cheesemaking into the thriving industry it is today. Buy Local with IndieBound.
When the White Pine was King: A History of Lumberjacks, Log Drives, and Sawdust Cities in Wisconsin (August, 2020) - For more than half a century, logging, lumber production, and affiliated enterprises in Wisconsin’s Northwoods provided jobs for tens of thousands of Wisconsinites and wealth for many individuals. The industry cut through the lives of nearly every Wisconsin citizen, from an immigrant lumberjack or camp cook in the Chippewa Valley to a Suamico sawmill operator, an Oshkosh factory worker to a Milwaukee banker. When the White Pine Was King tells the stories of the heyday of logging: of lumberjacks and camp cooks, of river drives and deadly log jams, of sawmills and lumber towns and the echo of the ax ringing through the Northwoods as yet another white pine crashed to the ground. He explores the aftermath of the logging era, including efforts to farm the cutover (most of them doomed to fail), successful reforestation work, and the legacy of the lumber and wood products industries, which continue to fuel the state’s economy.
Enhanced with dozens of historic photos, When the White Pine Was King transports readers to the lumber boom era and reveals how the lessons learned in the vast northern forestlands continue to shape the region today. Buy Local with IndieBound.
The Land Still Lives (50th Anniversary Edition) (September, 2019) - “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.” Buy Local with IndieBound.
The Civilian Conservation Corps in Wisconsin: Nature’s Army at Work (April, 2019) - Between 1933 and 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps, a popular New Deal relief program, was at work across America. During the Great Depression, young men lived in rustic CCC camps planting trees, cutting trails, and reversing the effects of soil erosion. In his latest book, acclaimed environmental writer Jerry Apps presents the first comprehensive history of the CCC in Wisconsin. Apps guides readers around the state, from the Northwoods to the Driftless Area, creating a map of where and how more than 125 CCC camps left indelible marks on the landscape. Captured in rich detail as well are the voices of the CCC boys who by preserving Wisconsin’s natural beauty not only discovered purpose in their labor, but founded an enduring legacy of environmental stewardship. Buy Local with IndieBound.
Simple Things: Lessons from the Family Farm (September, 2018) - In this collection of thoughtful essays, Jerry Apps reflects on the “simple things” that made up everyday life on the farm—an old cedar fencepost, Fanny the farm dog, the trusty tools used for farmwork, the kerosene lantern the family gathered around each morning and evening. As he holds each item up to the light for a closer look, he plumbs his memories for the deeper meanings of these objects, sharing the values instilled in him during his rural boyhood in the 1940s and 1950s. He concludes that people who had the opportunity to grow up on family farms gained useful skills, important knowledge, and lifelong values that serve them well throughout their lives. Apps captures and shares those things for people who remember them and those who never had the benefit of living on a small farm. Buy Local with IndieBound.
Cold as Thunder (May, 2018) - Since the Eagle Party took power in the United States, all schools and public utilities have been privatized, churches and libraries closed, and independent news media shut down. Drones buzz overhead in constant surveillance of the populace, and the open internet has been replaced by the network of the New Society Corporation. Environmental degradation and unchecked climate change have brought raging wildfires to the Western states and disastrous flooding to Eastern coastal regions. Buy Local with IndieBound.
Once a Professor: A Memoir of Teaching in Turbulent Times (May, 2018) - “I never wanted to be a professor,” writes Jerry Apps in the introduction to Once a Professor. Yet a series of unexpected events and unplanned experiences put him on an unlikely path—and led to a thirty-eight-year career at the University of Wisconsin.
In this continuation of the Apps life story begun in his childhood memoir Limping through Life, Wisconsin’s celebrated rural storyteller shares stories from his years at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1957 to 1995, when he left the university to lecture and write fulltime. During those years Apps experienced the turmoil of protests and riots at the UW in the 1960s, the struggles of the tenure process and faculty governance, and the ever-present pressure to secure funding for academic research and programs. Buy Local with IndieBound.
Every Farm Tells a Story: A Tale of Family Values (February, 2018 (reprint) - Jerry Apps details the virtues and hardships of rural living.
“Do your chores without complaining. Show up on time. Do every job well. Always try to do better. Never stop learning. Next year will be better. Care for others, especially those who have less than you. Accept those who are different from you. Love the land.”
In this paperback edition of a beloved Jerry Apps classic, the rural historian captures the heart and soul of life in rural America. Inspired by his mother’s farm account books—in which she meticulously recorded every farm purchase—Jerry chronicles life on a small farm during and after World War II. Featuring a new introduction exclusive to this 2nd edition, Every Farm Tells a Story reminds us that, while our family farms are shrinking in number, the values learned there remain deeply woven in our cultural heritage. Buy Local with IndieBound.
Living a Country Year: Wit and Wisdom from the Good Old Days (February, 2018 (reprint) - “Even with the all the hard work, we had more time (perhaps we took more time) to enjoy what was all around us: nights filled with starlight, days with clear blue skies and puffy clouds. Wonderful smells everywhere—fresh mown hay, wildflowers, and apple blossoms. Interesting sounds—the rumble of distant thunder, an owl calling in the woods, a flock of Canada geese winging over in the fall.”
In this paperback edition of a beloved Jerry Apps classic, the rural historian tells stories from his childhood days on a small central Wisconsin dairy farm in the 1930s and 1950s. From a January morning memory of pancakes piled high after chores, to a June day spent learning to ride a pony named Ginger, Jerry moves through the turn of the seasons and teaches gentle lessons about life on the farm. With recipes associated with each month and a new introduction exclusive to this 2nd edition, Living a Country Year celebrates the rhythms of rural life with warmth and humor. Buy Local with IndieBound.
Old Farm Country Cookbook: Recipes, Menus, and Memories (July, 2017) - When Jerry Apps was growing up on a Wisconsin farm in the 1930s and 1940s, times were tough. Yet most folks living on farms had plenty to eat. Preparing food from scratch was just the way things were done, and people knew what was in their food and where it came from. Delicious meals were at the center of every family and social affair, whether it be a threshing-day dinner with all the neighbors, the end-of-school-year picnic, or just a hearty supper after chores were done. As Jerry writes, "For me food will always be associated with times of good eating, storytelling, laughter, and good-hearted fun."
Inspired by the dishes made by his mother, Eleanor, and featuring recipes found in her well-worn recipe box, Jerry and his daughter, Susan, take us on a culinary tour of life on the farm during the Depression and World War II. Seasoned with personal stories, menus, and family photos, Old Farm Country Cookbook recalls a time when electricity had not yet found its way to the farm, when making sauerkraut was a family endeavor, and when homemade ice cream tasted better than anything you could buy at the store. Buy Local with IndieBound.
Never Curse the Rain (January, 2017) - Growing up on the family farm, Jerry Apps learned from a young age that water was precious. The farm had no running water, a windmill pumped drinking water for the small herd of cattle, and Jerry and his brothers hauled bucket after bucket of water for the family’s use. A weekly bath was considered sufficient. And when it rained, it was cause for celebration. Indeed, if ever the Apps boys complained about a rainy day spoiling their plans, their father admonished, "Never curse the rain," for the family’s very livelihood depended upon it. In Never Curse the Rain, Jerry shares his memories of water, from its importance to his family’s crops and cattle to its many recreational uses—fishing trips, canoe journeys, and the simple pleasures of an afternoon spent dreaming in the haymow as rain patters on the barn roof. 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." Buy Local with IndieBound.
Telling your Story (June, 2016) - In Telling Your Story, Jerry offers tips for people who are interested in telling their own stories. Readers will learn how Jerry Apps weaves together his stories, and gain valuable tips on how to turn their experiences into cherished tales. He explores how to choose stories from memories, how to journal, and tips for writing and oral storytelling, as well as speaking to a live radio or TV audience. Along the way, readers will learn about the value of storytelling and how this skill ties generations together, preserves local history, and much more. Buy Local with IndieBound.
Roshara Journal: Chronicling Four Seasons, Fifty Years, and 120 Acres - (June, 2016) - 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. Buy Local with IndieBound.
Wisconsin Agriculture: A History (September, 2015) - Wisconsin has been a farming state from its very beginnings. And though it's long been known as "the Dairy State," it produces much more than cows, milk, and cheese. In fact, Wisconsin is one of the most diverse agricultural states in the nation.
The story of farming in Wisconsin is rich and diverse as well, and the threads of that story are related and intertwined. In this long-awaited volume, celebrated rural historian Jerry Apps examines everything from the fundamental influences of landscape and weather to complex matters of ethnic and pioneer settlement patterns, changing technology, agricultural research and education, and government regulations and policies. Buy Local with IndieBound.
One-Room Country Schools: History and Recollections - (September, 2015) - A re-release of one of Jerry's popular books, One-Room Country Schools: History and Recollections is a popular collection of memories and recollections from people who learned at and taught in one-room schools in Wisconsin, including former pupil Jerry Apps, the book’s author. Buy Local with IndieBound.
Whispers and Shadows: A Naturalist’s Memoir (May, 2015) - 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 Apps 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. Buy Local with IndieBound.
Website Sections:
- Books - All the books Jerry has written.
- Biography - Jerry's biography and Press Kit for off-line publishers
- Other Writings - Other writings and media projects involving Jerry
©2024 all rights reserved.
Website by Matt Apps
Last updated:
09/04/2024 09:07 AM
CST
