I am writing the letter to give a little background and history on my successful creation of “Let’s Go See Mother Wilkerson’s Farm: Adventures in Learning Excellence through the generosity of artist Lizzie Wilkerson. In this decade of emotional voices heard crying for STEAM or STEM seeking the highest levels of performance in digital high tech. This book of tasteful art was designed to remind educators, parents and others that skills of planting and growing one’s own food is an advantage in this habitual digital world. I can remember mama’s message, “son, the more you know the farther you will go!” As an architect and adult now, after spending summers on a farm as a child in Athens, Ga., I have a strong respect for the knowledge of farming, too.

Prior to this generous gift, I practiced architecture and served on the design team that created the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport decades ago. This book creation was forced on me from guilt of procrastination. A valuable asset sat in my file cabinet unused for years. Thankfully, immediate action was taken ten years of silence. By 2007, all the preparation was completed for the draft manuscript to be shopped with a suitable publisher. As a novice and skilled architect, sheet layouts were a cake walk for me. The colorful art was a real plus for sustaining the viewers’ attention.

Mrs. Marva Collins, educator icon was gracious enough to endorse my volume one based on the book excerpts sent to her by mail. Her endorsement was inspiring and an exciting turning point. In her honor, we plan to draft and release a second edition soon in her honor.

Thank you for all your generous support to provide a pathway for our kids to be proficient and self-reliant in life challenges.

Earnest Hooks, Jr., MBA