Central Kansas Library System

Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her "head-for-the-hills bag." In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard. Her father distrusted the medical establishment, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse....

"Richard Wood knows that rural communities need more than jobs or money to survive: they need to become valued again as desirable places to live. He takes a closer look at what has happened in several Kansas farming towns and shows that there is much more depth and diversity to rural life than meets the eye." "Wood traveled the back roads to gather stories of people in some of the most vulnerable communities that are trying to stave off depopulation....

Small towns in Kansas are facing huge challenges. As many of our young people migrate to cities the community struggles to remain economically viable. This documentary not only illustrates was is being done in some communities, but emphasizes the importance of rural leadership and entrepreneurship. The film also highlights the advantages of rural communities and values rural Kansans share.