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THE LAND — APRIL 1/APRIL 8, 2022
www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”
Davis soars with tome to the bald eagle Imagine your house from up higher. ing George Washington “The Bald Eagle: The Improbably Journey of America’s Bird” caused a kerfuffle: did From 5,000 feet, it would look like a by Jack E. Davis the back of the coin feasmall brick or scrap wood. Your vehicle, ture a golden eagle or a like a toy car. Trees, like stalks of broccoli c.2022, Liveright bald eagle? That story, and you, like a tiny scuttling insect run$29.95 and the differentiation, ning about. Imagine the breeze at 5,000 418 pages are just a small part of feet, a patchwork land beneath the what’s inside “The Bald clouds, and the awesome expansiveness Eagle.” of it all. Then let “The Bald Eagle” by ture, and many of the bird’s seven thouTHE BOOKWORM Jack E. Davis take you higher. sand plumes were used in “a language SEZ Indeed, author Jack E. Davis America does not have a “national bird.” of feathers” and other rituals. As for has a little something for every By Terri Schlichenmeyer those colonists, the eagle’s majesty bald eagle watcher — from taxWe have a national mammal and a and its hunting prowess were both onomy to etymology; cultural national tree; but, officially speaking, widely admired. Still, there was controversy, ideals to scientific facts; to shockthere is no national bird because nothing’s been and our country was independent for years ing tales from a time when eagles passed into law or proclamation. But that’s not the before the seal design was approved — and were prey of the most dangerous only indignity that a dignified bird like the bald with it, the eagle-as-symbol. predator of all. Those latter pages eagle has endured. are hard ones to read — as are the tales of nearEagle-watchers know that love wasn’t always Legend has it that Benjamin Franklin wanted a extinction; but Davis doesn’t let readers turn away given to the bird, however. Not once, but twice in turkey to be a national symbol; but that’s likely a from the harshest realities of history. To balance American history, the eagle was almost driven to myth, says Davis. Ben was probably joking, them, you’ll be glad for the tiny pebbles of distractalthough it’s true that he wasn’t too impressed with extinction. In fact, there was a time when they was ing minutiae and trivia that are scattered about. seen as brutes and thieves to be destroyed. Live the eagle. In the end, that’s okay. Others were, eveneagles were “inducted into service” during wartime. This is the kind of book you’ll want to read, and tually, almost by accident. Eagles were stolen, stuffed and studied; honored, then place on your shelf for later consultation. It’s It’s hard to believe that having the eagle on our revered and despised — all within the last 200 shareable, discussable, and very, very fascinating. If nation’s seal was ever even a question. Before the years. And today — finally — the eagle is protected. you keep a “To-Be-Read” list, you’ll want to put colonists came to North America, the eagle was a Back in 1932, the debut of the quarter coin featur- “The Bald Eagle” a little higher on it. powerful, important symbol in Native American culLook for the reviewed book at a bookstore or a library near you. You may also find the book at online book retailers. The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives in Wisconsin with three dogs and 10,000 books. v
Can we trust markets? GUEBERT, from pg. 3
Answers located in Classified Section
pay the weekly grocery tab. Farmers and ranchers know this. In fact, today’s volatile wheat market means some rural grain purchasers only buy farmers’ grain when the Chicago futures market is open so the buyer can immediately transfer their ownership risk to someone else. That also means these purchasers don’t offer any farmer a market after 1:15 p.m. each weekday and not at all on the weekend. Almost every farmer or rancher will tell you that this is a highly risky, potentially costly failure to both you and them. So, no, we’re not going to run out of food. The real threat is that we’ll run out of markets we can trust. The Farm and Food File is published weekly through the United States and Canada. Past columns, events and contact information are posted at www.farmandfoodfile.com. v
