At today’s National Farm-City Week Kickoff Luncheon Rolling Stones keyboardist, Chuck Leavell (left) received the first ever American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, “Book of the Year” award. He received it for his book “The Tree Farmer.” Terry Gilbert, a Kentucky farmer and Foundation board member, presented the book award to Leavell.
“The Tree Farmer is a rare treasure among children’s books on agriculture,” Gilbert said. “It tells a story from a farmer’s perspective about his love of the land and his appreciation of the beauty of trees. The farmer’s love of the products trees provide and how they touch the souls of the people whose lives they grace shines through on every page,” she said.
The Tree Farmer was written for 6- to 14-year-olds and is one of 160 “Accurate Ag Books” recommended for children and adults by the Foundation.
“In our efforts to correct misconceptions about agriculture, we need to be careful not to just use facts and figures,” Gilbert said. “We need to refocus our efforts and start reaching people’s hearts as well as their minds when telling agriculture’s story. The Tree Farmer does just that.”
Prior to receiving the award I interviewed Chuck. In our interview he talks about his career in rock and roll and how he got started tree farming. That farming experience has lead him to a passion for conservation and helping the public understand the truth about forestry as a business that impacts every aspect of our lives.
You can listen to my interview with Chuck here: farm-city-07-leavell.mp3
You can get a copy of The Tree Farmer on Amazon.