Ohio dairy farmer David Kline’s first trip to the Shenandoah Valley came with a surprise — it’s not flat amid the mountains.

“You have rolling hills,” he said. “I like roll to the land.”

What’s more surprising is how many people heard Kline say that.

A crowd of about 200 packed into Dayton’s Montezuma Hall Wednesday night to listen to the Amish farmer speak of the importance of being respectful stewards of God’s land.

The Virginia Cooperative Extension, ��ݮ���� and Valley Conservation Council were among the event’s sponsors.

“I guess Amish speakers are fairly popular,” extension agent Eric Bendfeldt said when introducing Kline.

Attendees, however, did not come out to listen to just any Amish speaker.

Kline is the author of several books, including “Letters from Larksong: An Amish Naturalist Explores His Organic Farm,” and travels often to share the story of his 120-acre family farm in Holmes County, Ohio.

The Amish comprise about half Holmes’ 40,000 people, according to the county’s chamber of commerce.

Amish and Mennonites share many of the same beliefs, born out of a 16th century European movement known as Anabaptism — rejecting infant baptism. The Amish, though, live a much more conservative lifestyle today.

Because of that faith, Kline asks not to be photographed. An EMU professor’s in-laws live near him and brought him to Virginia since he uses a horse and buggy as transportation in Ohio.

Kline is speaking to classes at the university this week. Eastern Mennonite School students have actually visited his farm a number of times as part of science teacher Myron Blosser’s summer program.

“It is a real treat to sit around and chat with David on his farm as the sun goes down, then get up early to ‘help’ milk his cows, eat a farm-grown breakfast, watch him mow hay with horses and discuss issues in agriculture with him,” he said in an email. “It has a way of framing perspectives for us.”

Kline said farmers must embrace technology and science only so much, ensuring that the knowledge gained from manual labor on farms is handed down to succeeding generations.

He uses wind power to pump water on his farm and solar energy to charge batteries. Otherwise, his farm and many others around him are electricity-free.

“If there’s a storm,” Kline said, “we never worry about lines being down.”

That way of life is not for everybody, he admits. What is, though, is respecting the land that grows the world’s food.

Kline advises farmers to “romance” young people to keep them interested in agriculture and to not be overwhelmed by the job.

“This is the best life you can live,” he said.

“David Kline has a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective on what it means to live sustainably and respect God’s creation,” said , professor of at EMU.

As a sponsor of the talks, EMU has arranged for Kline to be driven from Ohio for this series of rare public appearances.

“I think many people will be both surprised and inspired by David’s stories of simple living, observing nature, and his success at promoting small-scale diversified farming in Ohio,” said Yoder. “He is one of the most intelligent men I’ve ever met.”

Based on his 120-acre farm in Holmes County, Ohio, Kline is author of “Letters from Larksong: An Amish Naturalist Explores His Organic Farm” (2010); “Great Possessions: An Amish Farmer’s Journal” (2001); and “Scratching the Woodchuck: Nature on an Amish Farm” (1999).” He also edits “Farming Magazine: People, Land and Community.”

Kline has been compared to Kentucky-based author and farmer Wendell Berry, who has written the forewords to Kline’s last two books.

“The farm is a place we live and not merely reside,” said Kline in an interview with the . “Our philosophy was my dad’s philosophy. That we should leave our land in much better condition than when we got it.”

EMU events open to the public

• Thursday, Feb. 9, 8:30-10 p.m., “An Evening with David Kline,” , University Commons.
• Friday, Feb. 10, 10-10:30 a.m., university chapel forum, .

Additional events, more information

In addition to publicly and visiting classes at EMU, Kline will serve as guest speaker on Wednesday, Feb. 8, from 6:45 8:30 p.m., at Montezuma Hall, 4736 Ottobine Road, Dayton, on the topic, “Living on Earth as Respectful Stewards.”

Kline’s visit is sponsored by EMU and the . Admission is free to the public events.

For more information contact Jim Yoder at 540-421-9912 or email yoderjm@emu.edu.