Squatters on Red Earth tours
Event Details
A drama about a peaceful encounter in the midst of the U.S. white settler land grab.
Swander Woman Productions presented three opening performances of Mary Swander’s play Squatters on Red Earth in June, 2023. The play is now touring, in fall and winter 2023, and through 2024.
The play is produced by Swander Woman Productions, a theatre company that creates and tours dramatic performances based on food, farming, and the wider rural environment.
Squatters on Red Earth is a one-man play written by Mary Swander under the guidance of members of the Meskwaki Settlement, and supported by grants from The Anon Was a Woman Environmental Award (The New York Foundation for the Arts) and The State Historical Society of Iowa, Inc. The drama explores the issue of the white settler land grab from the Native Americans. The core story revolves around a peaceful encounter between the Meskwakis and the Inspirationists, a German Utopian group, all while the colonialists were forcing the Natives from their land.
By 1855, the Inspirationists had settled the Amana Colonies on what had been Meskwaki land. The Meskwakis, forced to move to a reservation in Kansas, longed to return to Iowa. The state agreed to the purchase, and the Meskwakis worked hard to save money and buy back their own land. Once resettled, the Meskwakis canoed down the Iowa River to trade with the Inspirationists in their communal kitchens. The two groups, both grounded in their own spiritual traditions and a desire to be removed from the outside world, coexisted peacefully. They exchanged languages and enjoyed trading food, beadwork and blankets. Every year the Meskwakis returned to harvest the lotuses, or water potatoes, that they had planted years before in a wetland that eventually became The Lily Lake.
Meanwhile, more and more white settlers poured into the Midwest and West, in fulfillment of American “Manifest Destiny.”Treaties, Indian Removal Acts, and outright genocide wiped out more and more Indigenous lands and lives. The U.S. government forced the Natives into smaller and smaller sections of land, mandating that they plow the soil, and “root or die.”Yet, all the while, the Natives had a very sophisticated system of agriculture in place. For thousands of years, they had preserved the integrity of their own prairie ecology. They employed fire, grazing, no-till agriculture, organic pest management, companion planting and food preservation.
Squatters on Red Earth will resonate with those who have desired a more comprehensive history of the United States. What civilizations, ecological and agricultural systems were in place before the white settlers arrived? And how do they compare to our present systems? What forces pushed the settlers from their European homelands, and in turn, pushed the Indigenous people off of their land? How did the concept of private property evolve? How did two communal groups hidden in the middle of Iowa become an example of peace and cooperation for the rest of the country?
This one-hour drama is enacted through the use of a crankie, a medieval puppetry device, designed and built by Shelley Buffalo (Meskwaki Settlement). Shadow puppets were made by Monica Leo of Eulenspiegel Puppets (West Liberty, IA). The music was composed and performed by Laura Hudson Kitrell (Coralville, IA), and costumes were designed and made by Michele Payne Hinz (Cedar Rapids, IA). Brant Bollman from William Penn University (Oskaloosa, IA) directs. Rip Russell (Iowa City, IA) stars in the show. Indigenous voices for the touring production are Brian Henning (Omaha, NE) and Sarah Leo Piché (Winnipeg, Manitoba).
For more information on the touring production, please contact Janine Calsbeek, SWP Touring Director, touringSWP@gmail.com.
Photos are courtesy of Jen Stillions Photography.
Farm-to-Table Dinner and Map of My Kingdom POSTPONED
Event Details
Dinner and theatre at Middlebrook Farm
POSTPONED: Map of My Kingdom will be featured at Middlebrook Farm in spring 2024 instead of September 2023. The play will be accompanied by a delightful dinner prepared by hand-picked caterers.
Who’s going to get the farm? And what will they do with it?
Will your future plans for your land create harmony or strife for your family?
Have you even started to think that far ahead?
Map of my Kingdom is a drama exploring issues surrounding farmland transition. The one-person play, by Mary Swander and commissioned by Practical Farmers of Iowa, will be performed by actor Lindsay Bauer.
The Land in Transition: Hills and Valleys
Join the Des Moines Metro Opera and Whiterock Conservancy for an afternoon at the intersection of art, culture and agricultural land transfer. As part of a series of events celebrating the world premiere opera based on Jane Smiley’s Pulitzer Prizewinning novel, A Thousand Acres, we will explore the passing of land through family and the ties that bind us.
The setting
Whiterock Conservancy is a 5,500-acre non-profit land trust located near Coon Rapids, Iowa, along seven miles of the Middle Raccoon River Valley. Whiterock balances sustainable agriculture, natural resource protection, and public recreation on the landscape, which includes the historic Garst Farm. The farm is the cradle of hybrid seed corn and the symbol of a family legacy of innovation and stewardship. The program will be held in an outbuilding on the farmhouse grounds.
The program
Guests are encouraged to experience the Whiterock Conservancy landscape before or after the program.
1:30 p.m. Welcome: Niki Reynolds, Whiterock Conservancy & Michael Egel, Des Moines Metro Opera
1:45 p.m. Performance of “River House on the Prairie” by horn player Annie Chapman Brewer. This original composition was created through an AgArts residency at Whiterock Conservancy
2:00 p.m. Performance of Map of My Kingdom, a one-woman play created by Mary Swander, performed by Lindsay Bauer (pictured)
Intermission & Refreshments
3:30 p.m. Q&A with Beth Hoffman, author of “Bet the Farm,” a memoir published in 2021 that chronicles the transfer of Iowa farmland within a family, and sustainable agriculture lessons from a beginning farmer
4:15 p.m. Des Moines Metro Opera performance of an aria from A Thousand Acres
4:45 p.m. (after the event) Creator of Map of My Kingdom, Mary Swander, will host an informal talkback outdoors at the historic Garst home.
Register
The program is free to attend, but space is limited. We ask that guests RSVP HERE. Whiterock Conservancy is located at 1390 Hwy. 141, Coon Rapids, Iowa.
Questions? Contact Blake Carlson, Communications and Donor Engagement Manager at (515) 961-6221 or bcarlson@dmmo.org. Artwork above by Jean Graham.
Map of my Kingdom in Tekamah, NE and online
Who’s going to get the farm? And what will they do with it?
Will your future plans for your land create harmony or strife for your family?
Have you even started to think that far ahead?
See Map of my Kingdom — a drama exploring issues surrounding farmland transition. The one-person play, by Mary Swander and commissioned by Practical Farmers of Iowa, will be screened at Chatterbox Brews in Tekamah, Nebraska on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 2:00pm. Participants may also opt to view the play online. The event is sponsored by the Center for Rural Affairs.
NOTE: The January 30 event has been cancelled.
The compelling one-hour play tells farmers’ stories, hopes and challenges. Audience members will learn about farmland transition, why it’s important to begin thinking about it, and how to start conversations about this potentially sensitive issue.
Join the Center for Rural Affairs for a screening of Map of my Kingdom, featuring actor Cora Vander Broek, with an introduction, talkback and Q & A by award-winning author and playwright Swander.
REGISTRATION is required by Feb. 11. For info and the registration link, click here.
The Center recommends that all participants wear face masks at indoor events.
Chatterbox Brews is located at 203 S. 13th St. in Tekamah. Questions? Contact Cait Caughey at caitc@cfra.org or 402.380.5192.
The project is funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture Beginning Farmer and Rancher grant. There is no charge to attend.
• “Dynamic and thought-provoking.” — Katherine Correll, Downtown Colorado Inc.
• “A must-see play! Powerful, moving, timely, hopeful. It should be performed in every rural community concerned about land, property and business transition.” — Randy Lukasiewicz, Omaha
• “The play had a way of getting people to think more broadly about land transition and to be more respectful of everyone’s views involved in their situation.” — Tom Thaden, Iowa Farm Business Association
• “These stories are moving and engaging and remind us that we all share responsibility for the health of the land… This is art serving its purpose in a meaningful way.” – Susan Wolverton, Professor of Theatre, Coe College
• “Mary Swander and her troupe of actors are consummate professionals.” – Keri Smith-Norman, Mayo Clinic
• “It’s easier to talk to your children about sex than farmland transition.” – An Iowa farmer
Vang … a drama featuring the stories of recent immigrant farmers
IowaWINs will present award-winning author Mary Swander’s play, Vang, on Thursday, November 18 at 7:00pm at the Heatilator Performing Arts Center in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Vang is produced by Swander Woman Productions, a theatre company that creates and tours dramatic performances focused on food, farming and the larger rural environment.
A Hmong family who fled Communist bullets and wild tigers through the jungle of Laos and across the Mekong River to the refugee camp in Thailand. A Sudanese man who was thrown into prison in Ethiopia for helping the Lost Boys and was left gasping for air through a crack under the door. A Mexican woman who taught herself English by looking up the meaning of the profane words that were hurled at her at her first job in a meat packing plant. A Dutch boy, dressed as a cowboy, who put the flag of the Netherlands through the paper shredder and declared, “I am an American.”
These are some of the characters brought to life in the theatre production, Vang.
Vang is a collaboration between Swander and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Deni Chamberlin. Swander and Chamberlin documented interviews with the immigrant farmers to create Vang (meaning “garden” or “farm” in Hmong). Swander then wound their words together to form a verbatim play that captures their struggles, survival skills, and journeys to the U.S. While their experiences are unique—some escaping violence, others fleeing poverty, and others embarking on agri-business ventures—all of these immigrants grew up on farms and wanted to once again assume the livelihood that they had known in the past, the work that had formed the foundation of their cultural roots.
Vang will be performed by actors Rip Russell and Mt. Pleasant native, Amy Johnson Schaefer, and will feature Chamberlin’s photographs. The performance will be followed by a talkback by Mary Swander, with time for questions.
The event is sponsored by Iowa Welcomes Immigrant Neighbors (IowaWINs) of Mt. Pleasant.
Performance Date: Thursday, November 18
Performance Time: 7:00-9:00pm
Location: Heatilator Performing Arts Center, 307 East Monroe Street, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
Admission: There will be no charge to attend, but freewill donation will be collected for IowaWINs.
Misc: Because of the covid pandemic, audience members will be required to wear face masks.
In addition to serving as the Artistic Director of Swander Woman Productions, Swander is the Executive Director of AgArts, a nonprofit designed to imagine and promote healthy food systems through the arts.
For more information, please contact Touring Director Janine Calsbeek at touringSWP@gmail.com (712.707.2010).
Vang … and Recent Immigrant Farmers
A Hmong family who fled Communist bullets and wild tigers through the jungle of Laos and across the Mekong River to the refugee camp in Thailand. A Sudanese man who was thrown into prison in Ethiopia for helping the Lost Boys and was left gasping for air through a crack under the door. A Mexican woman who taught herself English by looking up the meaning of the profane words that were hurled at her at her first job in a meat packing plant. A Dutch boy, dressed as a cowboy, who put the flag of the Netherlands through the paper shredder and declared, “I am an American.”
These are some of the characters brought to life in Vang, a drama about recent immigrant farmers.
Vang is a collaboration between Swander and Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Deni Chamberlin. Swander and Chamberlin documented interviews with the immigrant farmers to create Vang (meaning “garden” or “farm” in Hmong). Swander then wound their words together to form a verbatim play that captures their struggles, survival skills, and journeys to the U.S. While their experiences are unique—some escaping violence, others fleeing poverty, and others embarking on agri-business ventures—all of these immigrants grew up on farms and wanted to once again assume the livelihood that they had known in the past, the work that had formed the foundation of their cultural roots.
Vang will be performed by actors Rip Russell and Amy Johnson Schaefer and feature Chamberlin’s photographs. The event is sponsored by CRST International.
Performance Date: Sunday, October 24
Performance Time: 6:00-8:00pm
Location: National Czech and Slovak Museum, 1400 Inspiration Place SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Admission: The event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP here, phone 319-362-8500 x218 or email info@ncsml.org
In addition to serving as the Artistic Director of Swander Woman Productions, Swander is the Executive Director of AgArts, a nonprofit designed to imagine and promote healthy food systems through the arts.
For more information, please contact Touring Director Janine Calsbeek at touringSWP@gmail.com (712.707.2010).
AgArts Circle
AgArts Circle August 12: Learn about Turtle Farm’s CSA. And how to protect audiences from boring speeches!
Mary Swander has planned another AgArts Circle! Mark your calendars for Thursday, August 12 at 7:00pm Central Time.
Featured will be Tina Bakehouse and Angela Tedesco.
Tina Bakehouse, from Maple Edge Farm in Hastings, has a mission: to “protect audiences from boring speeches.” She inspires people to enhance their businesses with storytelling. She’ll tell about her work, and her upcoming events.
• Craft the Keynote You Want: Tuesday, Aug 24, noon-1pm CDT – free webinar
• Flow on the Farm: Friday, Sept 10, 1-5:30 pm at Maple Edge Farm
Angela Tedesco’s book is coming out soon, Finding Turtle Farm: My 20-Acre Adventure in Community Supported Agriculture.It’s about her farming experiences over the 17 years she owned and operated Turtle Farm, near Granger, Iowa. She is now a backyard gardener in Johnston.
Come with your insights, questions and news.
AgArts Circle was inspired by Mary Swander at the Practical Farmers of Iowa 2021 online conference. AgArts Circle connects people who mutually support each other in endeavors in the arts and agriculture.
Interested? For the link, email Mary at swandermary@gmail.com or Janine at touringSWP@gmail.com.
Vang … and Recent Immigrant Farmers
Featuring Mary Swander, author of the drama, Vang, and Joseph Deng Malual, one of the farmers featured in Vang
Join the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library for a virtual program about recent immigrant farmers, Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 7pm. Register to attend HERE.
Award-winning author Mary Swander will be joined by Joseph Deng Malual, who works for the University of Illinois as an Extension Specialist in Community and Economic Development. They will discuss various types of immigrant famers and why and how they come to the U.S., their importance to the U.S. food system, and the challenges these farmers face, from land access to discrimination. They will also speak to the revitalization of farmers’ markets, local restaurants and downtown businesses by immigrants.
The talk, with Q & A, will be in anticipation of the live performance of Vang on Sunday, October 24 at 6pm at the Czech and Slovak Museum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Vang is a drama featuring the stories of recent immigrant famers from four continents, written by Swander. Vang captures the struggles of families from Laos, Sudan, Mexico and the Netherlands, and describes their survival skills and intense desire to return to the land.
Photos, by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Deni Chamberlin, accompany the drama.
Malual’s experience is one of the stories told in the drama.
Register to attend HERE.
The Best Food Preservation Techniques, featuring Mary Swander. Online workshop.
Mary Swander has grown almost all her own food for 35 years on the grounds of what was once an old Amish schoolhouse near Kalona. Long Iowa winters called for becoming adept at food preservation, and Swander has learned to put food by with expertise she gained from her neighbors and her own ingenuity. After too many long, hot summers canning tomatoes in August, Swander turned toward dehydrating.
In this workshop Swander will emphasize easy and inexpensive ways to dehydrate on small and large scales. She will also demonstrate a cheap and simple method of root cellaring, the preservation method that retains the most nutrients.
The online workshop will be Saturday, July 24, 10-11:30am. Cost is $35. REGISTER HERE.
AgArts Circle
AgArts Circle was inspired by Mary Swander at the Practical Farmers of Iowa 2021 online conference. AgArts Circle connects people who mutually support each other in endeavors in the arts and agriculture.
The next online meeting will be Thursday, May 6 at 7:00pm CDT.
Interested? Email Janine at touringSWP@gmail.com.
Artwork by Jean Graham, 2019 AgArts resident artist at the Anna and Dave Geyer farm and Land Alliance Folk School.
Entrepreneurship for a New Era: The Economy of Enough: Online Course
The pulse of our nation is changing, and for business start-ups, that is both a challenge and an opportunity to think in new ways.
The experience of a global pandemic has led many to reconsider priorities and reevaluate what success looks like. In this course, we’ll learn the steps of starting an enterprise that grows out of your values and redefines success.
Week 1: Crafting a vision based on your values. Jan. 9, 10 am – 12 pm.
Week 2: Building a container: Leveraging what you have with what you need. Jan 16, 10 am – 12 pm. 
Week 3: Cultivating systems of simplicity and adaptability. Jan 23, 10 am – 12 pm.
Week 4: Navigating the inner landscape. Jan 30, 10 am – 12 pm
Instructor Anna Geyer has 20 years of experience creating and operating several small businesses in rural Iowa. Best known is her wood-fired pizza venue, Geyer’s Oven. Most recently, she founded Land Alliance Folk School & Retreat Center, offering lodging, classes and retreats.
Sponsored by Land Alliance Folk School and by AgArts, a non-profit designed to imagine and promote a healthy food system through the arts. $138. REGISTER FOR THIS CLASS
Color for the Winter: Natural Dyes at Home: Online Class
Brighten up your winter by learning natural dye techniques at home!
Join us to learn natural dyeing at home in this virtual four-week class presented by Lesley Darling. Over the first three weeks, we will cover beginner’s topics including shibori, how to make a dye bath, bundle dyeing, mordanting cotton, and more! Lesley will send out kits for each student. Students will create at least 3 projects, combining the provided kit with common household materials. Kit fees are covered in the cost of the class.
Projects may be completed at any time between classes, and during the last class we will share our results and continue discussion. Students are encouraged to start saving onion skins upon registration (red and yellow)! We will discuss other necessary materials during the first week of class, so don’t rush out to buy anything!
Week 1: Feb. 6, 10am-noon: Shibori techniques with madder.
Week 2: Feb. 13, 10am-noon: Bundle dyeing on silk.
Week 3: Feb. 20, 10am-noon: Mordanting cotton.
Week 4: Feb. 27, 10am-noon: Final discussion and follow-up.
Classes will be conducted via Zoom and recorded for those who need to miss a class. Kits are not available to ship internationally, but students located outside of the US are encouraged to get in touch with us and we can discuss local sourcing and other options!
Lesley will mail out kits 1 week prior to class beginning so early registration is recommended. Students who register by Jan. 29 should have their kits by the start of the class. Students who register later may not have their kits for the first class, but will be easily able to catch up. Please note that we are not responsible for pandemic-related shipping delays. All packages will ship USPS.
Instructor Lesley Darling is a Midwest-based fiber artist with international experience and 7+ years of textile practice.
Sponsored by Land Alliance Folk School and by AgArts, a non-profit designed to imagine and promote a healthy food system through the arts. $159. REGISTER FOR THIS CLASS
Swander Woman Productions
Online and in-person touring schedule. Very little in-person touring currently due to safety guidelines related to covid 19. For a presentation for your virtual event, contact touringSWP@gmail.com.
Map of my Kingdom
- Monday, October 26, 2020, 6:00-7:30pm: National Conference for Growing Community Foundations: Online Conference on Sustainable Community for All. Map of my Kingdom will be presented, featuring actor Cora Vander Broek, followed by a talkback and interactive discussion led by Mary Swander. On Tuesday, October 27, Mary Swander will be available from 2:00-3:00pm for pre-scheduled meetings with attendees. Hosted by the Kansas Association for Community Foundations. Conference buzz: “This is the most comprehensive conference for CFs that I am aware of.” “This is, full stop, one of the most important events of the year.” For more information, click here.
- POSTPONED: Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 7:30pm: Brush, Colorado. Brush High School Auditorium, 400 West Street, Brush CO. FREE and open to the public. Sponsored by Morgan Community College and Brush Area Chamber of Commerce, with support from Downtown Colorado, Inc.
- POSTPONED: Thursday, June 4, 2020: Springdale, Arkansas. Northwest Arkansas Land Trust. The Jones Center, Springdale AR. Erika Kuhn, actor. Mary Swander, playwright.
Vang
- Sun, September 22, 2019 from 2:00 to 4:00pm: Sharon Center, Iowa. Sharon Center’s historic Fellowship Lodge, 2765 500th Street SW, Iowa City IA. Lindsay Bauer and Jordan Dornbierer, actors; Mary Swander, playwright. Light refreshments will be served. Free, but donations appreciated.
Farm-to-Fork Tales
- Sun, November 10, 2019 at 2:00pm: Maquoketa, Iowa. A Harvest of Memories and Hope. Maquoketa Art Experience, 124 South Main, Maquoketa IA. Open to the public. Suggested donation $5. Rip Russell, storytelling coach, and Mary Swander, talkback. Storytellers include Heather Moore, Lori Schnoor, Skott Gent, Cale Gent, Roger Stewart and Steven Tubbs. Plus food from local vendors and music by the Black Velvet Band. For more info, click here.
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Wed, January 29, 2020 at 12:30pm: Muscatine, Iowa. FuFu and Other International Culinary Delights: Weird foods I’ve eaten. Theatre in Strahan Hall, Muscatine Community College, 152 Colorado Street, Muscatine, IA. Free and open to the public. Mary Swander, storytelling coach. Storytellers are MCC international students with roots in China, Mexico, Ecuador, Honduras, Sicily, Côte d’Ivoire, Ukraine, Brazil, Togo, Cameroon and the Netherlands. They’ve eaten rattlesnake and earthworms… and armadillos! Plus international music.
- Sat, February 22, 2020 from 2:00 to 4:00pm: Grinnell, Iowa. Food and farming stories from around the world, Grinnell College, Humanities and Social Studies Complex, N1164, Grinnell, IA. The public is invited for stories, music and international food. Sponsor: Center for Prairie Studies. Mary Swander, emcee; storytellers from Storm Lake and Muscatine communities. For more information, contact Prof. Jonathan Andelson (andelson@grinnell.edu), Director of Center for Prairie Studies.
AgArts Field Day: Drive-In Puppet Show at the Land Alliance Folk School
Imagine that you are an alligator, visiting a deserted mall!
The annual AgArts Field Day will be held Sunday, August 30 at the Land Alliance Folk School and Geyer farm at 1259 Rohret Rd SW, Oxford, Iowa, west of Iowa City. The program will begin promptly at 7:00pm.
Advance registration is required. The fee is $10 per car. REGISTER HERE.
The field day is a drive-in event this year, featuring Eulenspiegel Puppets performing Shenanigans: Animals in Charge! It’s a new show based on true stories of animal antics during a pandemic, “with a lot of imagination thrown in,” said Eulenspiegel director Monica Leo. The show will be entertaining for all ages.
Mary Swander will give a concise talk about AgArts, which imagines and promotes healthy food systems through the arts.
In addition, Anna Geyer will tell briefly about the Land Alliance Folk School, located on her family’s diverse farm which includes a food forest, cutting garden and wood-fired pizza oven.
Jean Graham, artist from Austin, Texas, participated in an AgArts Farm-to-Artist Residency at the Geyer farm last summer, and created a graphic zine about her experience. A few of Graham’s images will be shown before and after the puppet show.
Ice cream bars will be provided to all guests.
Sound will be available through FM car radios and through smart phones. Attendees are to remain in their vehicles and stay for the entire program, 7:00-8:15pm.
Attendees must register and pay $10 per car by August 29.
Rain date is Monday, August 31 at 7:00pm. Check AgArts or Land Alliance Folk School on Facebook for rain-related announcements.
The AgArts Field Day is a Friend-of-Practical-Farmers-of-Iowa event.
For more information, see AgArts.org, contact Mary Swander at 319.936.0187, swandermary@gmail.com or contact Anna Geyer at 319.325.6609, info@landalliancefolk.com.
Vang: a drama about recent immigrant farmers
A Hmong family who fled Communist bullets and wild tigers through the jungle of Laos to a refugee camp in Thailand. A Sudanese man who was thrown into prison in Ethiopia for helping the Lost Boys and left gasping for air through a crack under the door. A Mexican woman who taught herself English by looking up the profane words that were hurled at her during her first job while working in a meat packing plant. A Dutch boy who put the flag of the Netherlands through the paper shredder and declared, “I am an American.”
These are some of the characters brought to life in Vang, a drama about recent immigrant farmers to the Midwest.
Vang captures the stories of immigrants’ journeys to the U.S. and how they have made farming a sustainable way of life in America.
Vang (meaning “garden” or “farm” in Hmong) is written by award-winning author Mary Swander. It features photographs by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Deni Chamberlain.
Sign up to see Vang, Tuesday, March 30 at 4:00pm CDT, part of Cesar Chavez Week at South Dakota State University.
The event, featuring Vang plus a talkback/ Q & A with author Mary Swander, will be held at Jacks’ Place at SDSU, Brookings, SD. It’s online too. Sign up here!
Online Discussion with Mary Swander: The Maverick M.D. – Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez and His Fight for a New Cancer Treatment
Join a discussion with Mary Swander about her new book, The Maverick M.D.– Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez and His Fight for a New Cancer Treatment.
Author Mary Swander will make a Zoom appearance Thursday, May 6 at 10:00am CDT to discuss her book. The Maverick M.D. tells the fascinating story of a courageous M.D. who took on the conventional medical system to put his alternative cancer treatment to the test. Learn how Gonzalez developed his nutritional theory based on his knowledge of sustainable agriculture and the research of Weston Price, Francis M. Pottenger and William D. Kelley. Understand the many obstacles placed in Gonzalez’s path, and get a glimpse into the lives of the many patients he helped recover from devastating illnesses.
Special guest will be Mary Beth Pryor Gonzalez, the widow of Dr. Gonzalez, who spent hours with Swander, providing perspective and insight into the life of her husband. The editor of New Spring Press, she has worked tirelessly to assure a readership for her husband’s work, the protocol he developed, and its theoretical background.
Read the book and come prepared to ask questions and to share your insights with others.
Because of overwhelming interest, Swander is offering a fourth online discussion of the book.
No charge but registration is necessary. REGISTER HERE.
Vang. Bicyclists. Climate change solutions. And a potluck!
A group of bicyclists are on a cross country journey from Seattle to Washington, D.C., raising awareness about climate change solutions and connecting with communities along the way.
They will see Vang at the Land Alliance Folk School and Dave and Anna Geyer farm in rural Oxford, Iowa on Wednesday, July 7.
The public is invited for a finger food potluck, and the viewing of the video of Vang, Mary Swander’s drama featuring the stories of recent immigrant farmers from Laos, Mexico, Sudan and the Netherlands. Vang captures the struggles of these families, along with their survival skills and intense desire to return to the land.
The potluck begins at 6pm July 7, and Vang at 7pm, followed by a discussion.
Bring your own table service for the potluck. Drinks will be provided.
Sponsors are Land Alliance Folk School and Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions of Eastern Mennonite University. Land Alliance Folk School is west of Iowa City, at 1259 Rohret Rd SW, Oxford.
Farm-to-Fork Tales: Farming in All Sorts of Weather
On Thursday, July 8, the Mt. Vernon Area Arts Council and Swander Woman Productions present Farm-to-Fork Tales, featuring original stories from area people involved in agriculture.
The program is titled Farming in All Sorts of Weather, and will be held outdoors at the First Street Community Center in Mt. Vernon, in conjunction with and immediately following the Mt. Vernon Farmer’s Market. The event will begin at 6:00pm.
Storytellers include Susan Eren, cofounder and executive director of the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust; Laura Krouse, 30-year farmer who grows vegetables for Abbe Hills Farm CSA; Allan Mallie, local row crop and livestock farmer and long-time member of the Lisbon school board; Kevin Woods, who farms an almost-century family farm; and David Miller, who loves to make people laugh.
And there will be music, featuring originals and classics by The Mississippi Band. Morning Glory vegetable farm will have food for sale at the event.
Award-winning author Mary Swander is coaching the storytellers. The First Street Community Center is located at 221 1st St NE, Mt. Vernon.
More information HERE.
The event is made possible through a grant from the Iowa Arts Council.
Nebraska Women in Agriculture conference features Map of my Kingdom
Who’s going to get the farm? And what will they do with it?
Will your future plans for your land create harmony or strife for your family?
Have you even started to think that far ahead?
See Map of my Kingdom — a drama exploring issues surrounding farmland transition. The one-person play, by Mary Swander and commissioned by Practical Farmers of Iowa, will be performed at the Nebraska Women in Agriculture conference on February 23, 2023 in Kearney, Nebraska.
The compelling one-hour play tells farmers’ stories, hopes and challenges. Audience members will learn about farmland transition, why it’s important to begin thinking about it, and how to start conversations about this potentially sensitive issue.
Map of my Kingdom will feature actor Lindsay Bauer, and include a Q & A session afterwards.
Find more information on the Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference 2023, here.
• “Dynamic and thought-provoking.” — Katherine Correll, Downtown Colorado Inc.
• “A must-see play! Powerful, moving, timely, hopeful. It should be performed in every rural community concerned about land, property and business transition.” — Randy Lukasiewicz, Omaha
• “The play had a way of getting people to think more broadly about land transition and to be more respectful of everyone’s views involved in their situation.” — Tom Thaden, Iowa Farm Business Association
• “These stories are moving and engaging and remind us that we all share responsibility for the health of the land… This is art serving its purpose in a meaningful way.” – Susan Wolverton, Professor of Theatre, Coe College
• “Mary Swander and her troupe of actors are consummate professionals.” – Keri Smith-Norman, Mayo Clinic
• “It’s easier to talk to your children about sex than farmland transition.” – A Midwest farmer