In this work of creative nonfiction, author Kate Benz provides an intimate look at the present-day residents of Courtland, Kansas (population 285), a town whose economy depends almost entirely on agriculture.Through charming, first-person accounts, Nothing but the Dirt: Stories from an American Farm Town tells the whole story of life in Courtland, bucking the "Rural America is dying" narrative that so often proliferates national headlines about small-town USA. Throughout the book, Benz paints a picture of community that is unwilling to give up on each other. Macro-level issues such as rising tariffs, operation costs versus sinking commodity prices, and infusions of federal farm subsidies affect the locals' daily livelihood, but it's their love of their community that continues their collective efforts to keep Main Street open for business and Courtland on the map. These are the stories from one corner of rural America, told through the people who live there: the fourth-generation farmers, the young professionals, the transplants, the small business owners (many of whom are women)-a community that is nuclear, blended, straight, gay, red, blue, religious, and anything but. Young people who grew up in Courtland are moving back to raise their kids there, but instead of farming, they are opening breweries, boutiques, marketing agencies, or hair salons. They love rural life but want a new way to define it. Courtland is a community that is unwaveringly determined to keep their corner of rural America not only alive but thriving, refusing to let challenges define or deter them. Instead, they continuously find creative ways to overcome, adapt, improve, and move forward.
Kate Benz is a freelance writer in South Dakota.
PrefacePreface Acknowledgments Early Fall The Coffee The Morning Coffee: Friday The Farmers: Steve Brown The Pastor The New Business: Soul Sister Ceramics The Farmers: Hootie Rayburn The Farmer's Wife The Young Couple The Lunch Spot The Mayor The Newspaper The Liar's Bench The Gas Station The Lutherans Spring The Good-bye The Morning Coffee: Friday The Farmers: Kenny Joerg The Ladies The Entrepreneur The Day Care The Ranchero The Date Night The Body The Transplant The Morning Coffee: Saturday The Average Sunday The Morning Coffee: Monday The Memories The Morning Coffee: Wednesday Summer The Morning Coffee: Wednesday The Lambs The Bank The City Council Meeting The Morning Coffee: Thursday The Ditch Rider The Family Business: C&W Late Fall The Morning Coffee: Thursday The Broker The Morning Coffee: Friday The Veterinarian The Morning Coffee: Saturday The Harvest The Family Business: Tebow Plumbing Co. The Women: Peggy Nelson The Nurse The Homeopathic The Morning Coffee: Monday The Drive Home Epilogue
"Benz comes to know every interviewee well, and her comedic voice and flair for the well-chosen detail make the profiles fly by. The interviews reveal that everyone has an interesting story to tell and that no one escapes unscathed by tragedy."--Kansas History "If you've stopped at a diner in a tiny rural town and wondered what the farmers were talking about in their coffee klatch, here are some answers. Thanks to the people of Courtland, who let Kate Benz listen in, told her their family histories, explained ag policy, and gossiped discreetly, those of us who live in bigger towns and bluer places might be better equipped to sit down, order some eggs, and join the conversation. Like me, you'll find yourself thinking about these people after you finished reading."--C. J. Janovy, author of No Place Like Home "Kate Benz shares the simplicity and complexity, the challenges and rewards, the highs and lows of a rural town and agricultural community. The way she has connected the personal story and local culture is informative and endearing. You'll want to go visit Courtland. I love this book so much--it's one of the most enticing farming stories I've read."--Marci Penner, director of Kansas Sampler Foundation "Kate's book has given the reader an honest perspective of our small-town characters and rural culture. We appreciated the humor and willingness to get a full perspective of our way of life here."--Luke and Jennifer Mahin, co-owners of Irrigation Ales in Courtland, Kansas
