A western Iowa man who is both a farmer and a psychologist is now also an author. Dr. Mike Rosmann of rural Harlan says his first book, “Excellent Joy: Fishing, Farming, Hunting and Psychology,” is filled with his observations about life on the farm. It’s described as being part lessons from the field and part wisdom from the vantage point of a psychologist, parent and outdoorsman.
Rosmann says, “It is a collection of episodes of life that not only reflect my own experiences but our attachment to the land and the joys we experience by closeness to the land through working it as a farmer, as well as hunting game and fishing off the land.” Urges drive some of us to buy territory, he believes, so we can produce the essentials for life, primarily food, fiber and lately, biofuel. He says farming may be in our genetic code, dating back millennia.
Rosmann says, “The urge to acquire necessary territories led people to secure the terrain necessary to grow the food but also, I think it stems from our days as hunter-gatherers when we exploited the game and the food supplies but had to move from place to place.” The development of agriculture, he says, allowed us to stay in one place, produce food and survive the lean times. Evidence exists, he says, that there are certain personality factors which contribute to a farmer’s success.
“These traits involve independence, a capacity to endure adversity, a desire to be inventive and to keep things to ourselves,” the 65-year-old Rosmann says. “These traits tend to make us better farmers.” The book, “Excellent Joy,” is available at bookstores, online at Amazon and through the North Liberty-based publisher, Ice Cube Press at www.icecubepress.com.
