First published in 1946, Walter Thomas Jack's classic book of agricultural essays, The Furrow and Us, intensified the till versus no-till debate, called by Time magazine "the hottest farming argument since the tractor first challenged the horse." Hailed as "the answer" to Edward Faulkner's Plowman's Folly, Jack's cautionary memoir of agricultural progress between world wars treats the soil's intimate needs, its "hidden hungers," with the lyricism and love characteristic of an Iowa Quaker, schoolteacher, and conservation farmer. Released here in a sixtieth anniversary edition and updated and introduced by Walter Jack's great-grandson Zachary, this new edition serves as a timely call to steward the good soils that sustain us.

"The Furrow and Us is an…informative guide to the intricacies that are the everyday work life of the experienced farmer...highly recommended read for the ecologist, soil conservationists, practicing farmers, and students of agriculture and agronomy." - Wisconsin Bookwatch

"This classic collection is more than just a legacy. If we place Jack's concerns about sustainable growth, local ecologies, and organic methods in the twenty-first century, where they certainly belong, we can see that his vision about the appropriate relationship between a farmer and the soil is also a vision about our own health...a must read for all Iowans who seek some basic knowledge in order to participate in the ongoing debates about soil fertility and healthy agriculture." - The Annals Of Iowa