I wish to acknowledge the support of my family: my wife, Mary, who has always been a good sounding board; Marcus, our son, whose photos appear here in his seventh book for Voyageur Press; and Julia, our daughter, who is always a bright spot in her father’s life.
To Dr. Jeff Sindelar and Ronald Russell of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who gave of their time and advice during photo-taking sessions.
To the Straka family of Plain, Wisconsin, for their assistance and patience while we acquired photos for illustrative purposes. For sixty-three years their family has served our local area, and I feel privileged to call them friends.
To Tony and Sue Renger of Willow Creek Farm, for allowing access to their pig operation for photos. Their attention to detail and providing quality pork products is an asset to our community.
To my good friends Jim Ruen and Wendy Wellnitz, for their support and understanding of what it takes to complete a useful book.
I also wish to thank my editor, Todd Berger, for all of his assistance in helping bring this book to a wide audience. Also, a thank-you to Caitlin Fultz for her attention to the manuscript and helping to strengthen it.