Farming on the Oxbow

"Farming on the Oxbow" traces an unforgettable journey through the heart of America's agricultural heritage. This intimate memoir follows the remarkable story of George and Virginia Hogue as they cultivate not just the land, but a legacy of resilience that would span generations.

Set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties, Great Depression, and Dust Bowl, this compelling narrative reveals how one Iowa farm family weathered the most challenging periods of the 20th century through unwavering Methodist faith and steadfast determination. The author masterfully interweaves personal family stories with broader historical context, creating a rich tapestry that illustrates the profound transformations of rural American life.

As family secrets unfold-from Virginia ancestors who owned slaves to relatives who manumitted their slaves and moved north to live free-readers witness how our ancestral stories shape our identities as much as our genetics do. The memoir even uncovers a shocking family secret of a relative who got away with murder in 1931, during the same period when the Scottsboro boys were unjustly convicted by the same Alabama judge. These revelations prompt deeper reflections on how family history intersects with America's complex social fabric.

The centrality of corn farming to Iowa's agricultural identity emerges as a powerful theme, alongside vivid descriptions of how technological advancements revolutionized farming practices. From horse-drawn plows to the first tractors, from manual harvesting to mechanical innovations, the Hogue family's adaptation to change mirrors the broader evolution of American agriculture.

Readers follow not only the grandparents' story but also the author's own coming-of-age in rural Iowa, where the values of hard work, self-reliance, and community shaped his worldview. This multi-generational perspective culminates in the author's remarkable journey from Iowa farmland to Vietnam service, and later to careers as a large animal veterinarian and in food safety with the USDA and World Health Organization, where lessons learned from his farming heritage proved invaluable.

At a time when less than one percent of Americans farm the land-compared to more than half during the author's grandparents' era-this thoughtful examination of our agricultural past offers vital insights into today's challenges of food security and corporate farming dominance. The author doesn't shy away from addressing how "an increasingly small minority of big farmers, corporations, agribusinesses, and chemical companies control an increasingly large amount of our farmland," presenting "an existential threat to food security."

"Farming on the Oxbow" stands as both a loving tribute to a vanishing way of life and an urgent meditation on the future of American agriculture. Through its personal narratives and historical insights, this memoir reminds us that understanding our agricultural roots is essential to navigating our collective future.

Perfect for readers of Midwestern history, agricultural narratives, family memoirs, and anyone seeking to understand the profound transformations that have reshaped rural America over the past century. Scholars and students of agricultural history and rural sociology will find valuable perspectives, while general readers will be captivated by this emotionally engaging narrative that combines personal stories with rich historical context.

300 pages