Cultivation of a Lifestyle

I have an extra copy of Connie Oney’s “Cultivation of a Lifestyle” book. (The perfect Christmas gift.) For those of you who are long-time magazine subscribers, I have an extra copy to share with whomever remembers …

… the story of how Connie and I came to know each other and how it is my daughter and I ended up drinking fresh milk (along with homemade pumpkin pie) in her kitchen on her dairy farm back when her book was still a mere longing, an urge.

Eventually I wrote the back copy on her dream-come-true book:

“‘Oh, for a dusty tractor!’ With those words, Connie Oney brings you home. Home to your roots, maybe even home to the farm you never knew. With incredible finesse and honesty, Connie lets you in on her REAL life. Using perfect diary vignettes that include the modern-day farmer’s search for honorable answers, she keeps one foot firmly planted back in time. This book is THE written preservation of the agrarian lifestyle that is the backbone and root crop of American life as we know it. ‘Absolutely honorable!’ is what you’ll say when you set this book down after a session that includes her stunning photographs and text—words so strong your heart will ache, in that good, old-fashioned way that only summers on the farm can give you. It’s the journey of a lifeline.” -MaryJane Butters