Photography by Doug Ohman and Story by Will Weaver
Jacketed Hardcover
NOMINATED FOR A 2006 MINNESOTA BOOK AWARD!
This book pays tribute to these vanishing rural icons that symbolize a way of life on the land that was as strong and proud, as fragile and humble, as the barns among us. The rise of agribusiness and corporate farming has made barns nearly obsolete, and the old barns that once anchored family farms across Minnesota are slowly vanishing due to technology and a century of Minnesota's winters.
This book combines fact with fiction: the 85 stunning color photographs by Minnesotan Doug Ohman of these once numerous barns are accompanied by a small, moving novel — written by Minnesota's own Will Weaver — about the life and death of one barn through the eyes of the family who built it. According to Weaver, barns "...are landmarks, they are icons, they are metaphors, they are symbols. There's so much meaning packed into those old barns... They're now as obsolete as the steamship, as the coal fired locomotive."
A perfect gift for anyone over 20, these 125 pages (plus an Afterword by Weaver and Ohlman) stick with you long after you finish devouring the pictures and reading this uplifting, yet sad, story.
This is still my favorite story, and that of many of my friends and family.
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Photography by Doug Ohman and Story by Will Weaver
Jacketed Hardcover
NOMINATED FOR A 2006 MINNESOTA BOOK AWARD! This book pays tribute to these vanishing rural icons that symbolize a way of life on the land that was as strong and proud, as fragile and humble, as the barns among us. The rise of agribusiness and corporate farming ... ... more -
by Byron D. Halsted
Paperback
This ecologically aware manual was written in 1881 with the farmer in mind — during a time when a laborer earned a mere dollar a day. When it was originally released, it was titled Barn Plans and Outbuildings. Included are more than 250 illustrations and designs for nearly 100 structures spanning the gamut ... ... moreby Byron D. Halsted
Paperback
This ecologically aware manual was written in 1881 with the farmer in mind — during a time when a laborer earned a mere dollar a day. When it was originally released, it was titled Barn Plans and Outbuildings. Included are more than 250 illustrations and designs for nearly 100 structures spanning the gamut of farm buildings: from monumental barns (four stories high and covering nearly an acre) to lowly hen coops, root cellars, dog houses and bird houses, The particulars of their construction, recounted in simple and practical terms, tell a tale of life lived amid the changing seasons and the natural world. Halsted's building theories are based upon qualities good builders still hold dear: light and air, space, cost, and beauty, as well as permanence, convenience, and workability. The anecdotal style in this facsimile edition of the 1881 book can truly engage a reader, and it would make a fun and useful gift for those hard-to-shop-for men on your holiday list. -
by Candace Simar and Angela F. Foster These two Minnesota sisters present a collection of poems and essays, embellished with photographs, subtitled Reflections and Impressions. The sisters write, “If you learned to swear in Norwegian or shared a two-holer outhouse with your cousin”, you’ll enjoy the poetry and prose of these sisters. From memories of ... ... more
by Candace Simar and Angela F. Foster These two Minnesota sisters present a collection of poems and essays, embellished with photographs, subtitled Reflections and Impressions. The sisters write, “If you learned to swear in Norwegian or shared a two-holer outhouse with your cousin”, you’ll enjoy the poetry and prose of these sisters. From memories of Norwegian ancestors and growing up on a Minnesota dairy farm, this book, and these great sisters, will take you back to the days of rural schools, butchering hens, once-a-week baths, “apple pies and mud pies, and cow pies” to the auction of the family farm. See also Simar’s Abercrombie Trail Series — four books on Minnesota’s history during the Sioux Uprising, Immigration, and Settling found here… (Hardcover) -
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Cloth
We listened to you men! You saw "Helga Hanson's Hotflash Hanky" and said you wanted something too. Well, here you are. "Ole's Oil Rag -- For When Your Dipstick Comes Up Short"! ... moreCloth
We listened to you men! You saw "Helga Hanson's Hotflash Hanky" and said you wanted something too. Well, here you are. "Ole's Oil Rag -- For When Your Dipstick Comes Up Short"! -
by Will Weaver
Hardcover
Following in the footsteps of his father, Will Weaver — Minnesota author, novelist and outdoorsman — has been a hunter since he was a young boy. As he writes, “in the fall, when Canada geese came through and when partridge season opened, [we] heard the far-off thudding report of shotguns—and in November the ... ... moreby Will Weaver
Hardcover
Following in the footsteps of his father, Will Weaver — Minnesota author, novelist and outdoorsman — has been a hunter since he was a young boy. As he writes, “in the fall, when Canada geese came through and when partridge season opened, [we] heard the far-off thudding report of shotguns—and in November the heavier poom-poom! of deer rifles.” The Last Hunter is an examination of family, life on the land, and those things we hold dear enough to want to carry along, one generation to another. Hunting frames Weaver’s childhood memories, his relationship with his father, and his own definition of self. And although one side of his family lineage includes men who would not hunt, go to war, or carry a rifle, Weaver is caught off guard when his son and daughter show no interest in upholding the tradition of the hunt. The Last Hunter has been called "a 21st century collection of deeply personal tales—a truly American story." Weaver’s heartfelt rendering sweeps the reader along on a family journey from an isolated North Dakota farm “built around a fork and shovel” to postmodern America. -
Photography by Brian Peterson
Essays and Thoughts by 52 Minnesotans
Paperback
A few years ago, the Voices for the Land project, organized by the nonprofit group 1000 Friends of Minnesota, encouraged Minnesotans to write about the land they love, and to fight for its preservation. The Minneapolis Star Tribune published a selection of these essays, paired with Brian ... ... morePhotography by Brian Peterson
Essays and Thoughts by 52 Minnesotans
Paperback
A few years ago, the Voices for the Land project, organized by the nonprofit group 1000 Friends of Minnesota, encouraged Minnesotans to write about the land they love, and to fight for its preservation. The Minneapolis Star Tribune published a selection of these essays, paired with Brian Peterson's photos, in an award-winning series. Voices for the Land brings these essays and photos together now in paperbook form. Brian Peterson has been honored eight times as the Minnesota Press Photographer of the Year. This marriage of words, images, and landscape provides a powerful reminder of our deep and abiding connection to the land. Fifty-two Minnesotans write about the special, sometimes secret, places that give their lives meaning. For some it is their home or cabin or lake; for others, it's a family farm or neighborhood park, a backyard garden or north woods trail--all places where one finds a personal and spiritual connection to the land. The writers share the experience of these favorite places through their senses, from the aching tingle of a cold winter night and the sound of ice "singing" to the buzz of mosquitoes and the acrid smell of burning peat. -
by Suzann Nelson & Janet Martin
Paperback
This book, perfect for the men in your life, traces the history of scrap lumber to the cavemen and Noah right up to Martha Stewart, President Bush, Stephen King, Ralph Lauren and Sally Jesse Raphael. If you really want to make a statement, top it off with a Scrap Lumber ... ... moreby Suzann Nelson & Janet Martin
Paperback
This book, perfect for the men in your life, traces the history of scrap lumber to the cavemen and Noah right up to Martha Stewart, President Bush, Stephen King, Ralph Lauren and Sally Jesse Raphael. If you really want to make a statement, top it off with a Scrap Lumber King cap or the t-shirt.