The Farmer’s Lawyer

The North Dakota Nine and the Fight to Save the Family Farm

De: Sarah Vogel

Narrado por: Sarah Vogel

"Sarah's story, told in her unique voice, inspires me - and I'm sure it will inspire you - to fight for family farmers." (Willie Nelson)

"An exquisitely written American saga." (Sarah Smarsh)

"Remarkably well told and heartfelt." (John Grisham)

The unforgettable true story of a young lawyer's impossible legal battle to stop the federal government from foreclosing on thousands of family farmers.

In the early 1980s, farmers were suffering through the worst economic crisis to hit rural America since the Great Depression. Land prices were down, operating costs and interest rates were up, and severe weather devastated crops. Instead of receiving assistance from the government as they had in the 1930s, these hardworking family farmers were threatened with foreclosure by the very agency that Franklin Delano Roosevelt created to help them.

Desperate, they called Sarah Vogel in North Dakota. Sarah, a young lawyer and single mother, listened to farmers who were on the verge of losing everything, and, inspired by the politicians who had helped farmers in the '30s, she naively built a solo practice of clients who couldn't afford to pay her. Sarah began drowning in debt, and soon her own home was facing foreclosure. In a David and Goliath legal battle reminiscent of A Civil Action or Erin Brockovich, Sarah brought a national class action lawsuit, which pitted her against the Reagan administration's Department of Justice, in her fight for family farmers' Constitutional rights. It was her first case.

A courageous American story about justice and holding the powerful to account, The Farmer's Lawyer shows how the farm economy we all depend on for our daily bread almost fell apart due to the willful neglect of those charged to protect it, and what we can learn from Sarah's battle as a similar calamity looms large on our horizon once again.

©2021 Sarah Vogel (P)2021 Audible, Inc.

Fabulous book EVERYONE should read!

Thank you Sarah Vogel for bringing this book, and these stories to us. Beautifully crafted, engagingly told, at times heartbreaking, while also hopeful. EVERYONE should read this book!

Couldn’t put it down!!!

What a wonderful story of a tireless advocate and her courage and dedication to the family farmers of America.

Interesting History

Sarah does a wonderful job of intertwining ND history into the importance of agriculture and the small farmer.

Great Book!!

Was a great book! I remember growing up and living in a farming community and hearing about all of this. Only issue I had was not with the book but with the audio. Chapter 20 33:11 in (I do believe) audio cuts out for a good 5-7 minutes.

an American story everyone could benefit from

No my usual reading preference but since Fiona Hill recommended it, I gave it a try. Glad I did. Though I lked the idea of Sarah Vogel reading her own book, I did not enjoy listening to her voice. BUT, her story grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. Made me proud to be American, and embarrassed. Encourages me that people with integrity can win over political greed.

Bravo 👏

There is a lot to take in here. I grew up with farming and married a farmer, and lived in MacKenzie County in North Dakota. My father never borrowed from Farmers Home and neither did we. I have many memories of the drought years, but we were careful not to incur debt we couldn't pay off. I gardened, canned, sewed. Our kids had to earn spending money. I learned so much from Sarah's book that I did not know about the back story about farming in North Dakota. Very well-written, thank you.

History is so Important

I remember this time in history, but I didn't really understand it as I was in middle school and high school. it would be interesting to see where the land that was taken from the farmers at this time ended up! Great story, sad history. Thanks for your sacrifice, your insight and your work to save family farms.