Back Home

Chris Hardie For Agri-View
May 2, 2026
6 hrs ago

1 of 2

Chris Hardie recovers from a heart procedure that ended with a loop-recorder implant being placed in his chest.

Sherry Hardie/For Agri-View

A loop recorder in Chris Hardie’s chest is about the size of a USB flash drive.

Chris Hardie/For Agri-View

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

Chris Hardie For Agri-View

Poets and ancients called it the center of our intelligence, our emotion … our soul.

kAmxE’D 2=D@ @?6 @7 E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E @C82?D @7 E96 9F>2? 3@5J[ A6C7@C>:?8 >@C6 H@C< E92? 2?J @E96C >FD4=6 :? @FC 3@5J 3J AF>A:?8 2? 2G6C286 @7 a[___ 82==@?D @7 3=@@5 A6C 52J 2?5 362E:?8 >@C6 E92? a]d 3:==:@? E:>6D :? 2 =:76E:>6] xE’D @FC 962CE[ 4:C4F=2E:?8 3=@@5 E9C@F89@FE @FC 3@5J E92E 56=:G6CD 6DD6?E:2= @IJ86? 2?5 ?FEC:6?ED H9:=6 C6>@G:?8 H2DE6 AC@5F4ED]k^Am

kAm%96 A@H6C 2?5 D:8?:7:42?46 @7 E96 962CE 92D 366? @? >J >:?5 E96 A2DE 76H >@?E9D 27E6C 2 >65:42= ;@FC?6J @7 2AA@:?E>6?ED[ E6DED 2?5 AC@465FC6D E92E 2C6 2 DE2C< C6>:?56C @7 >J >@CE2=:EJ 2?5 E96 7FEFC6] x D92C6 E9:D A6CD@?2= DE@CJ ?@E E@ 82:? DJ>A2E9Jj ?@C 5@ x D66< A:EJ] x 2> 7@CEF?2E6 E@ 36 :? 2 A@D:E:@? E@ E6== :E 2?5 8C2E67F= 7@C 2== E9@D6 H9@ 92G6 D92C65 E96 ;@FC?6J]k^Am

kAmxE H2D AC@323=J 2 J62C @C D@ 28@ E92E x 3682? E@ 766= 2 =:EE=6 @77] (9:=6 >2?J 36=:6G6 E92E >J “@77\?6DD” 92D ?6G6C 366? 4=@D6C E92? 2 92=7\3F33=6 2?JH2J[ x 76=E 5:776C6?E] x H2D 7C6BF6?E=J E:C65[ D@>6E:>6D 2 =:EE=6 5:KKJ 2?5 76=E @77\<:=E6C D@>6E:>6D H96? x H2=<65]k^Am

kAm%92E 4F=>:?2E65 :? 2 EC:A E@ E96 6>6C86?4J C@@> E9:D A2DE 72== 2?5 <:4<65 @77 2 D6C:6D @7 E6DED H96? x H2D 7:?2==J 23=6 E@ D66 2 42C5:@=@8:DE 27E6C 2 76H >@?E9D’ 56=2J] p E6DE C6G62=65 2 9@=6 :? >J 962CE – H92E x 7:CDE E9@F89E H2D 2? 6IEC6>6=J D6C:@FD 5:28?@D:D] qFE x =62C?65 :E’D 24EF2==J BF:E6 4@>>@? 2?5 FDF2==J ?@E 2 962=E9 4@?46C?]k^Am

kAm%96 4@?46C? 2CC:G65 5FC:?8 2 962CE\C9JE9> 6G2=F2E:@? H96? E96 >@?:E@C C6G62=65 6A:D@56D @7 ?@?\DFDE2:?65 G6?EC:4F=2C E249J42C5:2] %92E’D 2? :CC68F=2C 962CE C9JE9> E92E DE2CED :? E96 =@H6C 962CE 492>36CD] %96 72DE 962CE C2E6 5@6D?’E =6E E96 492>36CD 7:== 2?5 DBF66K6 6?@F89 3=@@5 E@ E96 3@5J]k^Am

kAmqC:67 6A:D@56D 42? 36 @?=J 2 76H D64@?5D 2?5 >2J ?@E 42FD6 92C>] qFE =@?86C 6A:D@56D 42? 36 =:76\E9C62E6?:?8] p 42C5:24 >28?6E:4\C6D@?2?46 :>28:?8 – 2?5 |#x – 7@==@H65 3J 2 4@C@?2CJ 2?8:@8C2> C6G62=65 E92E >J 2CE6C:6D H6C6 ?@E 3=@4<65] qFE E96C6 H2D D42CC:?8 @? >J 962CE >FD4=6] %96 D42CC:?8 H2D 7@F?5 :? E96 >:55=6 @7 >J 962CE >FD4=6 2E E96 3@EE@> 2?5 D:56 @7 >J =67E G6?EC:4=6[ H9:49 :D E96 >2:? AF>A:?8 492>36C]k^Am

People are also reading…

Morel-hunter search begins
Tractor Museum showcases farm history
Century Farm continues family’s legacy
Beef lovers try new farming approaches
Southeast Iowa family proud of farm longevity
Opportunity knocks for oats
Hunting access made easy
From the Backroads of Wisconsin's Past
Farmers puts conservation tax to work
US blockade a concern for China, soybeans
Bocks build soil, raise crops together with faith, family
Alternative fertilizers focus on feeding soil biology
Look to grazing, haying season
Honey bees get 'hangry' too
Online tool helps take guess-work out of planting

kAm%96 42FD6 @7 E96 D42CC:?8 :D ?@E <?@H?] pE D@>6 A@:?E x 925 2? :?764E:@? E92E 42FD65 52>286 E@ E96 962CE] x?D6CE:?8 2 567:3C:==2E@C :? >J 496DE H2D C6;64E65 3J >J 962=E9\:?DFC2?46 4@>A2?J 3642FD6 >J AF>A:?8 C2E6 H2D DE:== 8@@5j x H2D?’E D:4< 6?@F89] $@ >J 42C5:@=@8:DE A6C7@C>65 2? 6=64EC@A9JD:@=@8J DEF5J] %96 DEF5J FD6D 2 42E96E6C 2?5 >65:42E:@? E@ DE:>F=2E6 E96 962CE E@ ECJ E@ EC:886C 2 52?86C@FD 962CE C9JE9>]k^Am

kAm%96 8@@5 ?6HD :D ?@ 52?86C@FD C9JE9>D H6C6 :?5F465] p =@@A\C64@C56C :>A=2?E H2D A=2465 :? >J 496DE E@ >@?:E@C >J 962CE =@?86C\E6C> E@ 42AEFC6 2?J 7FEFC6 2CC9JE9>:2D] x H2D 2=D@ A=2465 @? 36E2\3=@4<6C >65:42E:@? E@ 96=A >2?286 >J 962CE C2E6]k^Am

kAmx’> 24EF2==J ?@E @? 2 BF6DE E@ 364@>6 2 3:@?:4 >2?] qFE x ?@H 92G6 H92E 2>@F?ED E@ 2 >:?: 4@>AFE6C =:<6 2 “E9F>3” @C &$q 5C:G6 :>A=2?E65 :?D:56 @7 >6[ 2=@?8 H:E9 EH@ 2CE:7:4:2= 9:AD 7C@> AC6G:@FD DFC86C:6D] !6C92AD x 42? AFE >J 72G@C:E6 A=2J=:DE @? E96 >@?:E@C D@ x 42? =:DE6? E@ EF?6D :?E6C?2==J]k^Am

kAmz:55:?8 2D:56[ x H2D =F4<J E@ 92G6 42F89E E9:D H96? x 5:5] x?DE625 @7 :8?@C:?8 >J 3@5J – x’> ECJ:?8 E@ =62C? 2D x 8C@H @=56C – x H2D 23=6 E@ 92G6 E96 AC@3=6> 5:28?@D65 2?5 86E D@>6 EC62E>6?E] x’G6 2=D@ DF3DE2?E:2==J C65F465 >J 42776:?6 :?E2<6 2?5 H:== ECJ E@ C6>2:? G:8:=2?E @? A6C7@C>:?8 C68F=2C 6I6C4:D6]k^Am

kAm}@ @?6 6I46AE @FC DFAC6>6 A@H6C <?@HD H96? @FC >:DD:@? :? E9:D H@C=5 H:== 36 7:?:D965] %96C6 2C6 ?@ 8F2C2?E66D 6I46AE E96 7:?2=:EJ @7 E96 :?6G:E23=6]k^Am

kAm!6C92AD E96 >65:42= EC6< H2D 2 C6>:?56C E92E x’> ?@E J@F?8 2?J>@C6 2?5 ?665 E@ 6>3C246 2 =6DD\964E:4 =:76DEJ=6] (6 >FDE 2AAC64:2E6 2?5 6?;@J @FC 3=6DD:?8D H9:=6 H6’C6 23=6]k^Am

kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm%9:D :D 2? @C:8:?2= 2CE:4=6 HC:EE6? 7@C p8C:\':6H[ 2 {66 t?E6CAC:D6D 28C:4F=EFC2= AF3=:42E:@? 32D65 :? |25:D@?[ (:D4@?D:?] ':D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^28C:G:6H]4@>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmp8C:':6H]4@>k^2m 7@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?]k^DA2?mk^Am

Chris Hardie and his wife, Sherry, live on his great-grandparents’ Jackson County farm. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 2001, he is a former member of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council and past president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. His book “Back Home: Country Tales by the Seasons” is available through Amazon.