August 8, 6:30 p.m.
James Ridge, Sarah Day, and Daniel Smith presenting the poems from Smith’s work ANCESTRAL.
Panel discussion with farmers Kal Maxwell, Dale Clark, and Yvonne Brown, moderated by Joy Kirkpatrick.
Octagon Barn

Daniel Smith’s ANCESTRAL draws from the thirty years he farmed his family’s dairy farm in Northwestern Illinois. With poetry grounded in the rural Midwest, ANCESTRAL explores a family’s deep attachment to the land, the physical work of farming, and the emotional disruption one endures when such a life is no longer sustainable. ANCESTRAL provides a powerful depiction of the changes impacting our family farms and rural communities.

Smith will read some of his poems. American Players Theatre (APT) core company actors, Sarah Day and James Ridge will join Dan and read poems written from the perspectives of Midwestern farmers. The evening will end with a panel of local farmers responding to Dan’s body of work and discussing their perspectives on farming and the pressures of farming in today’s ever-changing world. The panel will be moderated by Joy Kirkpatrick.

This event is partially supported by UW-Madison Division of Extension, the UW Center for Dairy Profitability, and a CHS Farmer Health and Well-being grant.

Daniel Smith explores the changing landscape of rural America with the practicality of a farmer and the syntax of a poet. His writing has appeared in literary journals nationwide. Since retiring from active farming in 2008, Smith has worked as a counselor for farm families in crisis. Today, he lives with his wife, Cheryl, on a small farm in Wisconsin’s Driftless Region.

Sarah Day has been a member of the American Players Theatre acting company since 1986. Born and raised in Madison, Sarah is a proud Wisconsinite. She has countless performance credits and fans can see her this year in Sense and Sensibility and Love’s Labour’s Lost at American Players Theatre.

James Ridge is in his 25th season at American Players Theatre. He has also worked with Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Next Act Theatre, Forward Theater, Madison Repertory, as well as Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Con Vivo. He will be performing this season in APT’s The Rivals and Love’s Labour’s Lost.

Joy Kirkpatrick has worked for the University of Wisconsin for 29 years.  She began her Extension career as a county-based educator. In 2004 she became the Farm Succession Outreach Specialist for the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Dairy Profitability. In this position she collaborates with colleagues to provide educational programs and information on farm succession planning.  Kirkpatrick has extensive experience facilitating farm succession discussions with farm businesses and farm families. Joy is honored to work with farm families on some of their most personal issues when working on farm succession planning. Since 2016, Kirkpatrick has also focused on farmer wellbeing and mental health and is a certified adult Mental Health First Aid trainer.