A Beast of Muddy Brain

Drawing upon his own experiences of life in the American countryside of the 1930s and beyond as well as a lifetime of reporting and writing on agriculture, agricultural policy and economics, Charles Walters has crafted a new work of fiction that brings the message of Acres U.S.A. to life in a new way. From whence comes this beast of muddy brain that trails a boy, a man, a family and a civilization through Century 20 into Century 21?

The tale that unfolds in this intensely gripping, often instructive, novel begins in the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and grows with its characters through war and peace. It is an angry testament that sees the debauchery of a civilization. The chief character, James Robert Neff, and his family both survive and prevail while a Darwinian demon devours almost all around them. Here is the real story of what happens when public policy takes the food from the farmer, giving him very little in return, with showy successes forever shadowed by pending adjustments in our institutional and political arrangements. Page after page, Charles Walters adds to the best of times the fact of rural worst of times, answering questions that have still to be asked.

Copyright 2009, softcover, 380 pages. 16 per case.

About Charles Walters

Charles Walters is the founder of Acres U.S.A., and completed more than a dozen books as he edited Acres U.S.A. magazine, while co-authoring several others. A tireless traveler, Walters journeyed around the world to research sustainable agriculture, and his trip to China in 1976 inspired others to travel there. By the time of his death in 2009, Charles Walters could honestly say he changed the world for the better. He wrote a number of important books that broke the door wide open for further research on non-toxic farming methods. 

More books by Charles Walters

Eco-Farm – Eco-agriculture is explained — from the tiniest molecular building blocks to managing the soil — in terminology that not only makes the subject easy to learn, but vibrantly alive. 

Dung Beetles – A deep dig into into modern science and ancient history, traditional folklore and the best practical advice to resurrect the lowly dung beetle, exposing farmers and ranchers — and anyone with a desire to work more closely with nature — to this amazing creature.

Weeds – Control Without Poisons – Specifics on a hundred weeds, why they grow, what soil conditions spur them on or stop them, what they say about your soil, and how to control them without the obscene presence of poisons.

Find even more books by Charles Walters here.