3/14/2008 9:14:00 AM Farmer shares experiences in book
ARENS
If you go
Crofton farmer Curt Arens will conduct a book signing in Norfolk on Sunday, March 16, at Hastings Books. The event will be from 1 to 3 p.m.
Arens will also sign copies of "Down to Earth: Celebrating a Blessed Life on the Land" from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, at the Eastern Township Library in Crofton.
In addition to Hastings Books, Arens' book is available at several area locations, including The Abbey in Norfolk and the Corps of Discovery Welcome Center on U.S. Highway 81 south of Yankton; and online.
CROFTON - Curt Arens is a down-to-earth guy, who cherishes his Catholic faith, family and farm career - in that order.
The fourth generation of his family to farm southwest of Crofton along the West Bow Creek bared his soul in his recently released book, "Down to Earth: Celebrating a Blessed Life on the Land."
Arens said his book is likely one of few that portrays "a realistic look at rural life through the lens of faith."
The publisher is ACTA Publications in Skokie, Ill. Arens' book is the sixth in its "American Catholic Experience" series, featuring first-person reflections written by "ordinary laypeople."
Publisher Gregory Pierce said Arens' book "is about the harvest of blessings that come from trying to help bring about the kingdom of God on earth, as it is in heaven. In that sense, it is for all of us, no matter where or how we find ourselves living and working in this world. It is about every farmer, and it is about you and about me."
Arens said his book "is a tribute to the sacredness of rural life, particularly those hard-working, generous people in my own community. It is about the faith and farm lessons I've learned from my parents and grandparents, from my wife, children and in-laws, and from my neighbors and friends."
During an interview with the Daily News, Arens said the urban sector "is curious about not only how we live, but life in small communities, what we think about faith and how it plays out in our lives."
The book writing and rewrites spanned from April to September 2006, with the book released this January. Arens is now promoting the book on his new Web site and lining up book deliveries, media interviews and book signings before planting and calving begin next month.
Arens, the oldest of two sons of Harold and Margaret Arens who reside in Crofton, said he was ecstatic when he saw the first copy of his book.
"It was like bringing in the harvest, finally being done," said the 1982 Crofton Community High School graduate. Another exciting moment, he said, was discovering his book on amazon.com.
Arens, now 44, said he has secretly aspired to write a book since his high school years when he edited the school newspaper and began writing for the local newspaper.
He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in agriculture with a major in animal science. Since then, he's combined both his passion for agriculture and writing.
But while Arens has written hundreds of articles - primarily ag-related for a wide range of publications, from local to national - he said tackling a book project was a new challenge.
"It was the toughest, roughest, deepest writing assignment I've ever tackled," Arens said. "I thought I prayed a lot before, but during the process of pouring out my soul onto paper, I prayed even harder."
Arens, who views himself as a reserved person, said he has "always viewed faith as a private matter. So revealing how I think about faith in my own life as a husband, father and farmer was one of the most difficult writing opportunities that I have taken on."
Arens shares intimate details about the realities of farming; his college years; meeting and marrying the former Donna Zauha, a "city girl" from Papillion who formerly taught at St. Leonard's School in Madison; and becoming a father.
Arens and his wife, a teacher at St. Rose of Lima School in Crofton, are the parents of three children: daughters Lauren, 8, and Taylor, 6, and son Zachary, 2.
While Arens said farming "is difficult, and a lot less romantic than most urban dwellers think . . . the rewards of living on the land, witnessing God and caring for creation close-up, and raising a family within the warmth of a small town and close-knit faith community, far outweigh the financial challenges."
