“When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of human civilization.” This quote has been attributed to Daniel Webster, who was a lawyer and served as U.S. Secretary of State in the 1800s. This quote shows a keen understanding of history, and the important role that farmers have played in societies.

Our guest for this episode is Dr. Robert Dees, who is an historian of farmers, especially in medieval Germany. His recent book can be found at the Commons Press website:

Commons Press – The Power of Peasants – Economics & politics of farming in medieval Germany

(He has written other history books as well.)

It is important to understand that innovation has been part and parcel of agriculture since the agricultural revolution began thousands of years ago. This includes not just the equipment and machines that are use to grow, harvest, store, and process grains, but also societal structures. Robert’s book gives us a fantastic glimpse into the importance of farmers, and even though his focus has been on medieval times, the lessons continue to be important today.

For further thoughts, and some interesting images that Robert has graciously shared, check out my new Substack page!

Our music is Inspiring Cinematic Asia by Lexin Music, which is available at Pixabay.