Desert Almond Farmer

Desert Almond Farmer is a true story about Frederick Godde (1863-1930) who received 160 acres of land in the Mojave Desert under the Homestead Act of 1862. His new life began without water, electricity, or roads. In the end, he had a wife, nine children, thousands of almond trees, and a role in California history. This is the family's story-how they survived, how they conducted their daily lives, and how they grew almonds in the desert. Author-illustrator Mary Kaye Godde Stamets grew up in the almond orchards on the land her grandfather Frederick homesteaded. She combined photographs and art to create an authentic representation of a bygone era; the book is a piece of folk art. Number of pages: 248 Dimensions: 8.25" W x 8.25" H; Weight: two pounds; Printing method: 4-color process; Language: English; Suggested age level: eight through adulthood; Cover: Softcover; Extras: Full-width cover flaps with photographs 15" W x 8.25" H

Michael Evenari's biography unfolds his exciting, manifold life: his love for botany, the confrontation with political events as a youngster and his thrilling experience of helping in the development of Israel. Evenari takes us on his exciting expeditions in the company of his beloved wife. He tells us of his meetings with many personalities and about his farm in the Negev. The discovery of long forgotten floodwater irrigated farm systems from the times of King Salomon and their reconstruction became a successful experiment which lead him to teach this approach of runoff agriculture in many parts of the world, initializing progress in the development of various arid areas. As a tribute to his successful scientific life, Evenari was awarded the Balzan Prize in 1988. In April 1989, Michael Evenari died at the age of 84.