In this book of poetry, Levi embraces those questions with
a whirlwind of visions. He takes us from the ice age to the
future, to cultures around the world and back in time; from
stunning beauty to moments of horror; from purple coneflowers
to stop signs; from the eternal change of seasons to the
work of wasps and bees. He recognizes the challenges, but his
words bend towards hope. There is peace, for him, in the road
to resilience - the clover, the earthworms, the dirt staying put,
the rye pollen in the spring.
But more than anything, his visions force us to ask: Where
did we come from? Where are we going? Where do we want
to go?
As Levi wonders, "Where will we set off walkin' / beyond
dreams by dawn / with our daughters on our backs?"
~Nick Ohde, Practical Farmers of Iowa
Levi Lyle grew up on a farm near Keota, Iowa, and graduated
from the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Science
Education with an Environmental emphasis and a MAE
in Post-Secondary Education. After ten years of teaching,
counseling, and working as an academic advisor, Levi and
his wife Jill returned to the farm where they raise their four
children. Along with his interest in growing a variety of native
fruits, Levi and his family grow and distribute fresh Aronia
berries seasonally to local markets. Processing and marketing
wild fruits is a passion that Levi feels brings balance to his
other agricultural endeavors. Levi has worked as an organic
inspector and now consults on the topic of organic transition.
He has been a local leader in conservation no-till farming using
roller crimping, a practice applied to cover crops that boosts
sequestration on the prairie ecosystem - a role once filled by
the buffalo in stampede. He passionately speaks about solving
the global greenhouse gas dilemma by innovating Midwest
farm policy to allow farmers to lead.
