The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library has announced the selection of Gaining Ground: A Story of Farmers' Markets, Local Food, and Saving the Family Farm by Forrest Pritchard as the CommunityREAD 2025 book. Forrest Pritchard will visit Hancock County on Thursday, March 20 during CommunityREAD month for a public presentation at 7:30 PM at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts. 

About the Book

One fateful day in 1996, after discovering that five freight cars' worth of glittering corn have reaped a tiny profit of $18.16, a young Forrest Pritchard vows to save his family's farm. What ensues-­ through hilarious encounters with all manner of livestock and colorful local characters--is a crash course in sustainable agriculture. Pritchard's biggest ally is his renegade father, who initially questions his son's career choice and rejects organic foods for sugary mainstream fare. But just when the farm starts to turn heads at local farmers' markets, his father's health takes a turn for the worse. With poetry and humor, this inspiring memoir tugs on the heartstrings and feeds the soul long after the last page is turned.

About the Author

Forrest Pritchard is a seventh-generation farmer and New York Times bestselling author, holding a B.A. in English and a B.S. in Geology from the College of William & Mary. He grew up in the Shenandoah Valley on his grandparent's diversified farm, and spent summers with his non-farming grandparents in the Appalachian highlands and the Ohio River Valley. Upon returning from college in the mid-90s, he took over the family farm. His farm, called Smith Meadows, was one of the first "grass-finished" farms in the country, and sells at farmers' markets in the Washington, D.C. area. His books include the New York Times bestseller Gaining Ground, A Story of Farmers' Markets, Local Food and Saving the Family Farm, named a top read by NPR and Publishers Weekly, Growing Tomorrow: Behind the Scenes with 18 Sustainable Farmers Who Are Changing the Way We Eat, and Start Your Farm: The Authoritative Guide to Becoming a Sustainable 21st Century Farmer.