When the dust storms of the 1930s threatened to destroy U.S. farming and agriculture, Hugh Bennett knew what to do. For decades, he had studied the soils in every state, creating maps showing soil composition nationwide. He knew what should be grown in each area, and how to manage the land to conserve the soil. He knew what to do for weathering and erosion.To do that, he needed the government’s help. But how do you convince politicians that the soil needs help?Hugh Bennett knew what to do. He waited for the wind.This is the exciting story of a soil scientist confronting politicians to encourage them to pass a law to protect the land, the soil. When the U.S. Congress passed a law establishing the Soil Conservation Service, it was the first government agency in the world dedicated to protecting the land, to protecting the Earth.

The day-to-day business of growing and harvesting crops for food is brought to dramatic life in this Nebraska Children's Agriculture Book of the Year as children see farmers and their machinery hard at work. Farmers lifted and hauled, cut and chopped, plowed and planted, watered and mowed by hand or with horses and simple equipment--until the first tractor appeared. Now there are tractors with eight wheels and tires big enough to stand in, skid steers with buckets for lifting, and sprayers that look like huge prehistoric birds, as well as many other modern computerized farming machines. Here's a look at farm machinery in the modern age.

A girl and her father buy plants, potting soil, and a window box at the supermarket, ride the bus to their apartment, and put together a colorful gift for the child’s mother. Rhyming verse carries the brief story, while wonderful, warm, full-color illustrations present scenes from novel angles, and depict a loving family with a sense of intimacy, sincerity, and joy.

This collection of poems takes young readers to a day at an urban farmers’ market. Who to see, what to eat, and how produce is grown—it’s all so exciting, fresh, and delicious. Readers are invited to peruse the stands and inspect vendors’ wares with poems like “Farmer Greg’s Free-Range Eggs,” “Summer Checklist,” and “Necessary Mess.”

This book describes the process of making honey, from a bee's collection of nectar to honey production on a beekeeper's farm.

How does grass help cows make yummy milk? Follow each step in the food production cycle--from cows eating grass to ice-cold milk--in this fascinating book!

How does the salt in the sea become the salt you use at the dinner table? Follow each step in the process from evaporating the seawater to shipping the salt to a store in this fascinating book!

How does sheep's wool turn into cozy clothing? Follow each step in the production cycle--from shearing a sheep to pulling on a warm sweater--in this fascinating book!