Book Review: Gaining Ground

Gaining Ground: A Story of Farmers' Markets, Local Food, and Saving the Family Farm 

by Forrest Pritchard

I love this farmer memoir because it's funny, accessible, and deeply touching. Forrest Pritchard writes directly from his heart, and the resulting chapters move from amusing to hilarious, heart-warming to heart-breaking, finally culminating in both triumph and tragedy. It's not just a good model for our food system, it's simply an amazing read!

Forrest Pritchard is a farmboy at heart, as evident by his childhood memories of chickens, cows, pigs, crop fields and gardens—though not always all at once; his parents maintained full time jobs off the farm while continually starting various projects at home in an attempt to keep the family farm going. Upon graduation, Pritchard quickly sets his sights on staying on the family land and saving the farm from its steady decline into debt and failure, much to the chagrin of his dad, who had hoped his son would use his college education to get a stable job and 'better life'. The resulting adventures that follow Pritchard's new found dedication to the farm are woven into this page-turning book. Pritchard generously shares his foibles right along with his victories, and doesn't mind looking for the humor in his mistakes. All the of the great moments in the book are wonderfully enhanced by his writing style; he's a gifted writer with an English degree, and that shows.

Though he is light-hearted and humble, the bottom line is, his critical eye of the current farming system that surrounds him leads him to make risky and courageous changes. While farmers around him stick with the status quo--often out of desperation, more often out of a lack of knowing things could be different--Pritchard goes out on a limb to make the changes he thinks make more sense. He begins to analyze the ways that farming could be kept simpler, to better care for our now and our later. The changes he dives into can be very difficult (and yet sometimes so very simple), and at times costly, but Pritchard keeps the long vision in his mind as he works out a plan to create the farm of his dreams. The farm of his dreams slowly takes shape as a sustainable, healthy place, providing food to many different farmer's markets. The work is still very hard, but to Pritchard the hard work is meaningful, rather than a constant struggle to stay ahead. Pritchard's clear-headed bravery had me hooked, as I turned page after page to see how he would transform the family farm into an organic, grass-fed livestock operation. We need lots more Forrest Pritchards in order to heal our land and move forward in a better way of feeding ourselves.

One of my land-healing heroes, Joel Salatin, actually wrote the foreword for the book. Pritchard had visited his farm as a young boy and was ultimately inspired by the sustainable techniques Salatin has implemented for decades. Something in the foreword stuck with me: Salatin states that these type of farmer-memoir books should appeal to not just fellow farmers, but to the eaters who depend on those who grow food. People will feel more connected and mindful of the sources of their food when they read the entertaining, personal accounts of those providing it. I totally, whole-heartedly agree with this sentiment, but not just as one of the eaters. I want to be one of the growers, the providers, even if not in the rural-farm atmosphere. Though my path leans more toward suburban and urban food growing, I feel like I'm touching base with kindred spirits when I read about the people who are already embarked, passionately, in growing sustainable food. I'm motivated and filled with fresh inspiration when I read stories like Pritchard's, and ready to jump into my own plans, head first.



DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links. I'm eligible to receive a small commission whenever a product is purchased through these links. Click Here for my full disclosure!

Review: Home Sweet Homegrown

There really is no shortage of gardening books out there. I have checked out dozens from the library, usually for a quick skim for tips and ideas. Many times I get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of information, stuff that as a newbie I have no point of reference to even give meaning to.


I just found this garden-tip book and I think it's one I'll buy (I have a tiny collection so far. Most books get returned to the library after I jot down a few relevant notes that I MIGHT use one day).

I like this book because it's tiny. I can skim through it in 20-30 minutes. It has all the good stuff: tips on specific plants, simple projects for the garden, practical tips and natural sprays that are easily made at home, and even...drumroll...recipes for EATING! I am a sucker for garden books that include recipes. I guess because I love to cook, I love to garden, and I can't see how the two are separate. The recipes have enough of a twist from the usual (including a method for kraut that seems simpler than any method I've seen so far) to have me intrigued and ready to try them out.

Since I can read this book in one sitting, maybe if I read it enough times, the information will stick and I can give the impression I know what I'm talking about. Ha!

The back of the book includes a nice handful of websites to check out for garden tips and gadgets. I plan to go browse them, specifically the site that sells canning lids that can be reused...never knew something like that even existed!

The book comes from micropublishing.com, which appears to specialize in publishing tiny books like this that are filled with good information. I may have come upon a goldmine of wonderful books! I really like this snippet from the website's 'about' section:

"Microcosm continues to challenge conventional publishing wisdom, influencing other publishers large and small with books and bookettes about DIY skills, food, zines, and art. Microcosm constantly strives to be recognized for our spirit, creativity, and value. As a commitment to our ethics, our books are printed by union workers in the U.S. and we are moving towards all production using post-consumer papers, with vegan inks and bindings. Further, while only 25-35% of authors are women, we continue to publish about 50% of books by women."


DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links. I'm eligible to receive a small commission whenever a product is purchased through these links. Click Here for my full disclosure!

Review: Urban Farms

Urban Farms by Sarah Rich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fun picture book for the wanna-be urban farmer. I love looking through the colorful, whimsical photos when my inspiration is running low.

I was really excited to see up-close-and-personal pictures of Novella Carpenter's inner-city farm, because I find her personal story fascinating--I've read her books and it's nice to put a visual to the work she chronicled so well in words. 16 farms are featured in this book in full, vivid color. The photos have creative flair, with fun closeups and interesting vantage points.

It's encouraging that many of these urban farms do not have the look of perfection. There are raised beds falling apart but still functioning, straw and compost strewn about, stacks of pots waiting to be used, hoop houses that appear functional but definitely homemade, and a delicious sense of hodge-podge on nearly every page. Now and then a random flower pokes through, basking in the sunlight, or a pig rests by his homemade pen, looking pleased. Why does this appeal to me? Well, it's enormously encouraging to see real urban farming and all it's imperfect quirks because I feel like so many of my own personal projects just, well...look terrible. I can get lost in this book for a few minutes and gain new appreciation for my 'happily cluttered' garden adventures.

These bright and colorful photos remind me that the beauty lies not in immaculate rows of vegetation, but in the efficient function, the practicality of the urban farm layout. The spaces showcased in these photos have very little wasted space, and are great examples of polycultures, loaded with biodiversity. Also, it's obvious that many of these urban farms have perfected the talent of repurposing objects for ingenious new uses.

Reading the stories of the farmers who tend these amazing enclosed food-havens is calming and inspiring. Because I dream of creating my own productive urban oasis, I feel a connection to these visionaries.

This would be a nice book to keep on the shelf to gain inspiration whenever you need it. Open to any page and feel an instant sense of peace and purpose!

Review: On Good Land

I stumbled on this book at the library while hunting down gardening books. Written in 1998, it describes the history of Fairview Gardens in Goleta, California.  It's a quick read with its thick, glossy pages and numerous photos (though maddeningly without captions). It's yet another example of my being late to the party (I'm an overly excited 'noob' about all things gardening and sustainable living—much has been written on the topic over the years). Lucky for me, I found it—it's a fantastic story and a perfect model of how agriculture might survive in tiny bits and pieces among unending suburban sprawl.

Right away the book captures the imagination with google-map style views of Fairview Gardens: one picture taken in 1954 and one in 1998. This 12 acre parcel of land has literally been swallowed by suburban sprawl, highways and development, yet it thrives as an organic farm.

The story of how this land was kept from being turned into development itself is an inspiring tale. Author Michael Ableman takes over as a 'manager' of the land, living in its rickety old farmhouse with his wife and new baby, and tending the small orchards and fields, though he must report to the land's long-time owners, the Chapmans. He has expensive false starts (a whole orchard of green peaches, planted, tended, and harvested with immense care, that never proved sellable) and many tough obstacles (accidentally bursting irrigation pipes and causing a flood), but nothing provides as much frustration and challenge as the neighbors. Many are outright angry and want him—and the farm--gone. They had not purchased an expensive home in a sought-after neighborhood only to learn after the fact that a rotting compost pile lay behind their yard, or that roosters would crow in the early hours. Or that a tractor would make its rounds, quite literally in their backyards.

Never knowing exactly how he would save the land from being sold by the owners to development,  Ableman charges forward, working hard and winning over neighbors who learn to love the fresh food the farm produced. Ableman never shies from reaching out to everyone around him, whether to stand up to their demands or to calmly invite them to come see for themselves what was happening on the farm. He exhibits a gutsy determination that I find admirable. There are times it seems it would be much easier to give up on this parcel of land and try his hand at farming somewhere else (at one point his father offers him family land in Deleware--a climate that would in many ways be easier to deal with). However, Ableman perseveres through setbacks and even a divorce. After over a decade of challenges, sweat, and tears, the landowners allow the 13 acres to sell (for a whopping 750k)...but NOT to the developers. Cornelia Chapman allowed Ableman and a group of committed activists in the community—who formed a non-profit organization--to purchase the land and place it in a public trust. In Ableman's words:

“Fairview Gardens was never mine—and not just because someone else held the title. I have known for a long time that its role was to be a public place. It could never be just a private farm, or someone's personal retreat back to the land. Instead, this farm has provided a way for people to reclaim a connection to one of the most important and intimate acts: growing the food that they and their children eat. Over the course of a few generations, most people have given that power away to distant farms. They let this vital process take place out of sight, losing the pleasures and the connections that come with it. ...We cannot all go back to the land, but we can provide something of the land to everyone.”

Ableman's book is succinct, and his words are powerful; none wasted. Although the book is very quick and easy to read, it doesn't lack in humor, insight, and powerful motivation.  Models like Fairview Gardens will be more and more necessary as we navigate new ideas for agriculture (namely, small community farms). I was thrilled to have happened upon such a gem, and I plan to look into the present day Fairveiw Gardens at www.fairviewgardens.org.

Book Review: Farm City

You will get a very real, entertaining, touching, sometimes maddening view of urban farming when you read this awesome book! As I mention in my review, the death of animals is involved, but in a respectful way. I can't wait to check out Novella Carpenter's other books. She is full of passion, knowledge, and gritty determination.

Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This Novella chick is tough. Refreshing, hilarious, full of heart--but tough as nails. Setting up an urban farm in a large vacant lot in the ghetto of Oakland, she weaves a fascinating tale of the joys and frustrations involved. Stolen produce (when she is more than willing to share), massacred, lost, or escapee animals, a wide assortment of crazy neighbors, mysteriously vanishing bee colonies...her frustrations are many. Yet she also has a deep love for her neighborhood and all its quirks, even if she is realistic about its fleeting existence. Through all the relationships forged and hard work done, she and all her neighbors may ultimately move on/be evicted/flee. As attached as she becomes to her little piece of community and land, she must have the grit and strength to start over in a new part of the urban landscape if needed. I really enjoyed her hopelessly optimistic, yet slightly jaded attitude.

Novella Carpenter's sense of community is just the kind of model I think is needed for successful urban farms. She wants to share, deeply wants to get any and all neighbors involved. Many of the books I've read about growing food focus heavily on self-reliance: growing your own food, putting it up for later. But Carpenter wants to spread the wealth, connect people to the garden. Aware that the plot she's gardening on is not even hers, she can't conceive of the idea that she'd own all the food. She considers her neighbors her family--albeit a strange one. Even after nearly being mugged and watching a junkie shoot up right across the street, she is resolved to stay put and make her mark--and not as an outsider, as a real member of this odd, dysfunctional community.

Now, about the animals. They are central to her farm; ducks, chickens, geese, rabbits, even pigs. I will warn you--if you are a vegetarian, you may be horrified. Novella is definitely no vegetarian.

For all the dreams I have of transforming the empty plot across the street into a urban farm/permaculture/secret garden, animals have rarely entered those dreams,except the vision of peaceful egg-laying chickens eating up the bugs and nibbling on discarded greens.

The animals that I've never daydreamed about are central to Novella Carpenter's urban farm. While showing touching respect and love for her animals, she also has the will to do them in when the time comes. I think that if one eats meat, she should have this ability--but reading first hand accounts of the actual process made me realize I just may not have the guts face my meat-eating in such a personal way. Though... I really do love chicken. Let's just leave it at this: I'll never view pruners in quite the same way again after reliving the fate of Novella's meat birds. Not to mention the fate of her rabbits and pigs. Her animals are not pets, and she makes it clear.

Every part of this book holds importance, even if the animal harvesting makes me a bit squirmy. Novella Carpenter is a living example of a true urban farmer, and her experiences and insight are priceless to anyone considering the endeavor.

Book Review: Growing, Older

I think Joan Gussow has a lot to offer to those trying to grow their own food. Her experience and personal stories promise to inspire!

Growing, Older: A Chronicle of Death, Life, and Vegetables by Joan Dye Gussow

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have a complicated reader relationship with Joan Gussow. I want to say that I love her writing all the way to the end of the earth, but I do recognize some of her quirks that many might find irritating. In some ways, she seems to be a nit-picking old lady, the type you don't want to be neighbors with, for fear that she'll make your life hell. She is very opinionated, a right we all have but especially at the ripe age of 80-something, and there are many times while reading that I get the distinct impression that whatever she says, GOES in the lives of anyone around her.

BUT. That is all the negative I will say. Because, darnit, I can't help it. I really, really love her stories.

She writes with pure heart, holds nothing back, and openly shares everything she's ever learned about food, gardening, our food system, our environment. She is full of facts and important knowledge, and she's not afraid to stick her neck out with unpopular ideas (she wrote and researched many facets of our current agricultural systems long before the topic became mainstream, often facing tough critics). She also shares very personal stories about her sons and late husband, and shows time and again her humanness.

Growing, Older, is a book I will read often. Gussow ponders many of the issues a human being faces as they grow past 'old' into 'elderly', yet maintains her fierce independence and continues to grow most of her food in her (granted, huge) backyard. The Hudson River lies directly behind her, and throughout her insightful chapters there is the constant background threat of her garden being flooded.

Flood, it does. More than once Gussow's gardens have been utterly destroyed by the river's rising banks. The work she must do to repair the damage is exhausting to read about, and yet she's had to do it more than once, and she willingly does it. The answers to the question "Why don't you just MOVE?" emerges in her reflections. For one, she respects what nature has to dish out, and feels she needs to work with the forces around her. Two, the view of the river is so beautiful to her that she's willing to do what she must to live with such a gorgeous natural presence that fills her soul, even if at times it wreaks incredible damage on her livelihood. Many people wouldn't even have the option to move, so to see her succeeding in raising lots of food in a not-always-very-ideal environment is encouraging.

This 'old lady' has a lot of good knowledge to offer, and I feel her words on a personal level. There is so much focus on the negative aspects of growing old that it's no wonder everyone's so terrified of it. Joan Gussow is not terrified of age, but ecstatic about what the years have given her. I've adopted her as one of my role models, hoping I have the wonderful opportunity to also grow old, along with my gardens.

Book Review: Plenty

Here is a great read, chronicling one couple's attempt at eating locally!

Plenty: Eating Locally on the 100-Mile Diet by Alisa Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of several books I've read already that start out with a similar mission: the author sets out on an experimental journey (usually of one year), vowing to eat only foods that come from a certain radius of their home. In other words, to plunge headfirst into the locavore movement to see if it is a feasible goal. Of those that I've read (including my beloved Animal, Vegetable, Miracle), each has its own flavor and personality to add to the genre.

Plenty is definitely worth reading. Written by both Alisa Smith and her partner, James, there are tender moments between the two...and not-so-tender moments as their relationship centers around their eating. They add plenty of personal background stories, and have some great, well researched pages about the history of human beings and food. There are even some deep moments in which James and Alisa question everything about their very lives, which resonates with anyone who is...well, human. I enjoyed the humor, wit, and pure emotion these two willingly expose along their journey.

What I really like about Plenty is that Alisa and James live in a city apartment, with literally just a balcony. After years of waiting, they have a tiny plot in the community garden, but not enough room to grow a significant portion of their own food. It was inspiring to read about their dedication to finding sources of food within their 100 mile limit. Even if, at times, I wondered about all that driving they were doing (trips to the outermost limit of 99 or 100 miles to find food started to become routine). They did make sure to mention that they had a 'tiny' car with great gas mileage.

One of the challenges that really resonated with me was the difficulty they had procuring rice and flour. Lack of local rice was not a huge shock, but not having access to wheat? I commend them for their commitment to their project even when facing this staple loss! While trying to work with other carb sources, and eating LOTS of potatoes, the theme of searching for wheat was recurring. They were close to victory a couple of times: once getting a tubful of wheat from a nearby farmer who had grown a small amount but found it unprofitable. Their precious tub of wheat quickly became an elephant in the room as they began sorting it...and finding they had to separate almost equal parts mouse poop from the wheat berries (which smelled like mouse urine even after being sorted). What a huge effort filled with disappointment! Once Alisa and James finally find a local wheat source, near the end of the book, I nearly cried with joy with them as they baked and feasted.

When not driving to obscure locations, they walked to farmers markets, or, shockingly, rowed to the sea to collect saltwater in order to make their own salt. Yeah, they did that. Everything else in the book was pretty mainstream for collecting/foraging/seeking out local food, but by adding the saltwater story at the end, I saw that they were willing to take great pains to truly obtain their own food in the future, if they suddenly were no longer able to put gas in that tiny car. Which is a skill that I think we should all be thinking about obtaining!

Book Review: Grow Great Grub

This is a sweet little book that I wouldn't mind having a copy of!

Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces by Gayla Trail

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With gorgeous photos, delicious-sounding recipes, and hundreds of handy tips, Gayla Trail leads the reader through a fantastic guidebook on growing food when space is very limited.

What I am most impressed by in this book is that Trail goes into detail about every common vegetable plant you might want to try to grow, and gives specific tips for growing each in containers. Many gardening books are loaded with ideas on helping different plants thrive, but on a big scale. This is a super reference for those whose only option is container or tiny-plot gardening.

At the end of the book she gives a simple tutorial on canning, even including reproducible canning labels, which can be copied from the book, or downloaded from her website, www.growgreatgrub.com. She also offers tips on on drying, freezing and pickling your home-grown food.

Gayla's other website is www.yougrowgirl.com. Love it!

Book Review: Omnivore's Dilemma

I highly recommend this book by Michael Pollan, and actually, I recommend reading the Young Reader's Edition as well. If you need a good starting point in your quest to understand our food system and how it relates to everything else in our history and culture, this would be a good read for you.

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Now here is a book that I would recommend as a 'must-read' for everyone. There are many excellent books that focus on our present food issues, but Michael Pollan has clarity and a straightforward personality that will reach all audiences. Pollan writes about the concerns we are all starting to have, but remains extremely real and grounded. He is someone who you could imagine hanging out and having a beer with. He isn’t going to look down his nose at you for eating a hamburger, or lecture you about the evils of the banana you are putting into your mouth. Instead, he’ll sip his beer and tell his fascinating stories of his own discoveries; the journeys he has embarked on to find answers to those gnawing questions we have about our food. He’ll make you think a little, and perhaps change your mind about some of the ways that you eat.

I have to admit, I'd been putting off reading any of Michael Pollan’s book for awhile. Maybe I felt there was too much hype about them and was afraid I'd be disappointed if they weren’t as good as everyone claimed. Or maybe I didn't want to read the awful truths I knew he'd be revealing. Now I realize what I have been missing. Omnivore’s Dilemma gives a lot of detail about the bits and pieces I already have learned about our food system—that part I was expecting. What I wasn't expecting was his humor ... and his humanness. Unlike some others who write about food and our culture, he never once ‘talks down’ to the reader, nor does he seem to live an unrealistic, purist lifestyle. He simply takes a long, hard look at the ways we, as a species, eat, and puts into words all the things we wonder about as human beings when we really begin to contemplate our food. Most amazingly, he finally admits that with everything having been said, he might still once in a while happen to eat a McDonald's hamburger. Even though, he says, he is losing his taste and appetite for industrial food, just like so many of us are.

I love the 4 parts of the book and their focus on different types of meals: The Industrial Food Chain, The Big Organic Food Chain, The Local and Sustainable Meal, and the Foraged/Gardened/Hunted Meal.

The history of our Industrial Food chain didn't provide me any huge surprises, since I have read so much about it already, but the history of corn was nice. I was amused by Pollan's viewpoint of corn's success as a species, and how the plant itself is, evolutionarily speaking, the winner in the whole deal.

I have been a little suspicious of Big Organic for quite some time, so it's nice to have an author address the issue. Yes, Pollan writes, it's good to avoid pouring chemicals into our earth and water...but growing organic food on a big scale to meet the demands of a national market has huge drawbacks. The techniques of cultivating the land, bringing in compost/manure if it's not made onsite, and storing and shipping the harvested food turns out to be just as fuel-burning as conventional food production. Pollan claims that going organic on a big scale is an improvement, and gives us more choices...but that we can do better.

His chapters covering the Local, Sustainable food chain really had me sitting up in my chair, because it's something I believe in. He spent some time living at and helping with Polyface Farm (a 'grass farm' in Virginia that produces sustainable chicken, pork, beef, eggs and produce) and goes into great detail describing the amazing ways this farm operates. Polyface Farm is the kind of agricultural operation that I imagine when I think of a future of sustainable agriculture. Joel Salatin, the owner, has incredible wisdom about what he is doing, and farms like his are quietly spreading the idea that we, as eaters and consumers, do not have to settle for the Industrial Agricultural system.

I'll never view hunting in quite the same way after reading about his Gathered/Gardened/Hunted meal. Pollan really put into perspective some of the struggles I've had about eating meat in these chapters. I've been 'almost a vegetarian' for years...the key word being 'almost'. Pollan brought a lot of issues up that resonated with me and my still-wanting-to-have-meat-sometimes struggles. He gives a lot of thought to what a person needs to be responsible for and have knowledge about if they are going to eat meat. What if the walls of our CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) were completely transparent? What if everyone knew exactly what was involved in getting that ‘inexpensive’ meat all the way to their plate? Pollan believes, and I full-heartedly agree, that if the business of meat processing were not ‘out of the way and out of view’, many more of us would completely lose our taste for meat.

My favorite part of Omnivore’s Dilemma is Pollan’s enthusiasm for the ability each one of us has to make choices and changes. In his Young Reader’s Edition of the book (which is highly valuable in its own right), aimed at middle/high school students, he includes an afterword called “Vote with Your Fork”. He states that “It’s an exciting time to be an eater in America. You have choices today that your parents couldn’t have dreamed of: organic, local, CSAs, humanely raised milk and meat. When they were your age, there was basically only one way to feed yourself: from the industrial food chain. You have the option of eating from a very different food chain—you can vote with your fork for a better world, one delicious bite at a time.” Indeed!

Book Review: The Earth Moved

Earthworms are an especially fascinating topic for every child. Picking them up out of the yard to hold them, watch them (and hopefully place them back on the ground with their life still in tact), is a popular activity around here!

This book will teach you a lot more about earthworms so that you can share the tidbits with your kids the next time you hold squiggling worm with them. It may even motivate you to build a worm composter. I know that project is now definitely on our growing list of gardening activities!

The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms by Amy Stewart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A few surprises were in store for me as I read this lovely little book. Most of us know that earthworms play a crucial role in the fertility of our soil, but how many of us know that they can actually be quite destructive, too? Or that there are projects in which earthworms are helping to process our waste? Or that the world of earthworms actually holds more mystery than knowledge, for the simple fact that they can be so hard to study?

Amy Stewart drew me into her book with her obvious love of gardening. She describes her worm bin throughout the book with such endearment that I am convinced I must have one. Luckily, she provides plenty of resources for readers, who can choose either to make their own, or to buy a commercially made bin. The worm castings (aka poop) are wonderful for the garden, and as she says, worms can make the perfect pet.

A little history on how our specific earthworms entered our country's soil is included in the book, along with the disconcerting description of North American redwood forests that are dying due to the worms. Earthworms may have helped to create the fertile fields that our nation boasts, but they are also the cause of ancient forest land losing its important life cycles. This is the first time I'd heard about this crisis--and it's good to know that groups of ecologists are working hard to find ways to minimize the effects of the earthworms in these endangered areas. But it brings up an important lesson for us, in that we are always humbled by nature's forces; so much of what we put into action unwittingly changes those forces tremendously, with no turning back. One of the most important lessons for the average 'worm consumer'? Never dump leftover worms on those wilderness fishing trips: the less help worms have in getting to wild areas that they are not native to, the better.

Even with the somber reminder that we need to minimize our effects on worm migration, there is so much good that comes from earthworms that it's impossible not to get excited about the benefits in areas that thrive with their help.

One modern project that I find intriguing--yet gross: the use of earthworms (in a large scale vermiculture outfit) to help process raw sewage. Stewart visits a sewage plant in Florida that is working on getting worms to digest waste and turn it into something more pure and 'palatable' for farmers and gardeners to use as fertilizer. I won't lie...the idea makes me squirm, as it does almost everyone. But the fact is, there is no good place for human sewage to go, and many would claim that with the help of the earthworms' digestion, we could be making good use of it. Hmmmm...I may need a lot more convincing on this one. What about, on the other, more pleasant hand, installing large worm bins behind delis, restaurants--anywhere serving food, really--to turn the scraps into fertile worm castings? There would be a lot of work involved to keep it going properly (just sorting the garbage alone would take a full-time employee), but these kinds of innovations might help keep waste that could be turned into something very valuable from filling up the dwindling space in our landfills.

Without even considering the large-scale projects, it is fascinating to look at your own backyard for ideas. The author herself has given thought to having a 'chicken tractor'--a concept I've read about before--to create superior growing soil for her garden. The idea is to move the chickens around each year. During any given year, whatever patch of land is beneath the chickens will become worm heaven. They will burrow up and down and devour the chicken manure, loosening the soil, filling it with nutritious castings. Each spring when the chicken tractor is moved, there is a perfect new garden bed, filled with worms who've tilled the soil from within and filled it with all the microbes plants want and need. Not to mention, the chickens will have their fill of worms!

One of the most endearing parts of Amy Stewart's book is her repeated reference to Darwin, who studied worms in his last days. Darwin really helped shaped a lot of what we now know about earthworms, and Stewart's tales of the old man with his worms--along with his persistent dedication to learning-- are a nice touch.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the soil and gardening, but also for anyone who loves to ponder: 'where exactly do we fit, as humans, into this whole picture?' Oddly enough, the quiet power of the earthworm humbles us, especially when we realize the effect they've had on the planet for millions of years before we even existed.

Review: Wild Fermentation

Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods

by Sandor Ellix Katz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Here's a book that I wasn't expecting to affect me in any way except to inspire me to make yogurt--and WOW was I surprised to find so much more! Nostalgia ran strong as I read about making sauerkraut and yogurt--two of the fermented foods I grew up watching my grandma make. Along with many other foods I'm familiar with (beer, wine, cheese), Sandor Ellix Katz also shares a wealth of knowledge about fermented foods that are unfamiliar to me--such as tempeh and kefir. I have at least heard of those particular examples, and they have become big in the Western vegetarian diet...but what about kvass (made from stale bread, refermented), or kombucha (a dark tea cultured with a 'mother' or 'tea beast')? Reading about a 'tea beast', which is a gelatinous glob of bacteria and yeasts, had my curiosity piqued! I found myself wanting to experience some of these timeless fermented foods. He describes the health benefits of eating live cultured foods, and as a longtime AIDS survivor, he makes a good case for the benefits of his recipes. These recipes, in many cases, have existed for thousands of years. Fermented food plays a huge role in the history of humankind, predating agriculture.

Beyond the fascinating histories and the techniques of using 'free-range' microbes and bacteria to preserve and enhance food, Katz also takes some time to contemplate life itself. It seems appropriate, given that fermentation relies on living creatures, though tiny, who are a part of the life cycle we also experience. I'm always a sucker for how-to books that get into some deep contemplation of existence. He delves into some thoughts on death, a concept that he's had to face head-on since his HIV diagnosis. His zest for life and its cyclical nature, despite his illness, is truly inspiring. Katz finishes his fermented-foods manifesto with some thoughts on social change. He compares revolution to fire--the 'moment of upheaval; romantic and longed for, or dreaded and guarded against'-- and slow social change to fermentation. "As microorganisms work their transformative magic and you witness the miracles of fermentation, envision yourself as an agent for change, creating agitation, releasing bubbles of transformation into the social order. Use your fermented goodies to nourish your family and friends and allies. The life-affirming power of these basic foods contrasts sharply with the lifeless, industrially processed foods that fill supermarket shelves. Draw inspiration from the action of bacteria and yeast, and make your life a transformative process."

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links. I'm eligible to receive a small commission whenever a product is purchased through these links. Click Here for my full disclosure!

Book Review: Feeding People is Easy

This is a quick read (maybe a few hours), but it is pretty packed with ideas. In some ways, Colin Tudge seemed to oversimplify some political and social issues, but in all, this is a valuable book if you want to start thinking about how it's possible to make changes in our current agricultural system.

Feeding People is Easy by Colin Tudge

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Colin Tudge, a British scientist, lays out a plan for 'fixing' our current food economy. He explores the question "WHY? Why are we failing so miserably at feeding ourselves properly?" In a world of extremes, where millions of children go blind from, and die of, starvation--and millions more children are obese and developing diseases related to that obesity--how do we go about fixing the problems we face? Not only that, how do we develop an agricultural system that will sustain our species not only for our children, but indefinitely?

He puts to paper some key ideas that make absolute sense. He emphasizes more than once that 'taking on' the power structure simply won't work. A couple of chapters are devoted to the history of the corporation and why our global economy currently runs on the wheels of governments and corporations whose prime goal is to keep the cash flowing. Reform simply will not work, he claims, when there is so much to change and when the 'powers-that-be' perceive there is too much to lose. Flabbergasted by the apparent lack of concern for our obviously faulty agricultural system, and realizing that many of the world's injustices are tied to this failing system, he says that if we can get agriculture right, everything else will start to fall into place.

He eschews the idea of a revolution on the principle that the outcome can be totally unpredictable. Instead of reform or revolution, he describes a renaissance. In this renaissance of "Enlightened Agriculture", many groups with like minded ideas of preserving the planet, avoiding cruelty to humans and animals, and creating a sustainable life for everyone on the planet will come together and just start LIVING that life. They will be part of a "Worldwide Food Club" of growers, bakers, cooks, craftspeople, and consumers, all who 'give a damn' about quality food and life. If enough people catch on and opt out of mass merchandising and junk food, the status quo may be forced to adjust accordingly.

Tudge spends some time describing what constitutes nutrition for human beings, and how we have plenty of farmland to keep everyone in the world fed according to those basic nutritional tenets. He goes further than just making sure we are 'efficiently' and 'adequately' fed. He admits that for humans, nutrition is about much more than just being sustained--we love our food, we care about variety and texture and taste. He claims that part of the beauty of his plan is that we can get back to traditional cooking, and real food, and that we will never feel deprived. Everyone needs to know how to cook, at least in the most basic ways. Every country needs to get back to having a food culture that revolves around what can be grown, what is in season. Self-reliance is the most important thing for each country of the world if we are to fix our food problems(not necessarily self-sufficience, because some trading, within the guidelines of common sense, will go a long way to enhance life).

He discusses the current organic movement and says that many of its practices can be a model for how we need to farm. However, the monocultures that exist today, even in organic farming, need to be replaced with many mini-farms, similar to the family farms thatexisted in our past; farms run by good farmers and that produce a huge variety of foods and a small amount of livestock. He welcomes technology to the extent that it enhances agriculture without overtaking it or without harming the environment.

Tudge imagines an agrarian economy, where 20 to 50 percent of the population are farmers. These farmers will help ensure that our food supply is stable, and the rest of the population will have various livelihoods much like they already do, while supporting the farms. Just this 'simple' idea, to me, brings up a host of challenges and problems, for it would force a lot of our current economy to restructure. Tudge admits this is true and discusses some of those challenges. He suggests the idea of The College for Enlightened Agriculture, filled with sociologists, scientists, moral philosophers, and yes, politicians, who will work through the issues and find ways to make sure we don't make the same mistakes in the future. He claims that his ideas follow capitalism in its purest form, and he believes that capitalism could have worked beautifully if corporations had been kept in check, but I admit I was a little unclear on how everything could fit together when so much of the world still firmly believes in the 'bottom line' and making as much cash as possible. His vision is somewhat utopian in that he believes so many people will appreciate getting by comfortably without needing to get filthy rich. I personally feel this way--I've never been driven by greed or money--but I am skeptical when I'm surrounded by so many who are. Still, the idea that a new agrarian society could work, and that we could just ease right into it with enough people wanting that change, is extremely appealing.

It sounds like a revolutionary new world order to me, but Tudge seems certain that it's attainable with few 'growing pains'. In fact, he says that not only is this new approach to agriculture possible, it's absolutely necessary, or we are all dead. Most people today are becoming very aware that the way we currently approach agriculture is completely unsustainable. He welcomes technology to the extent that it enhances agriculture without overtaking it or without harming the environment.

What things can each person do right now? Find those farmer's markets and support them. Learn the lost art of cooking. Treat food like it's important. Start learning about groups that, in Tudge's words "give a damn", like those who support fair trade, organic farming, non-cruelty to livestock. Live life happily and as an example, and spread the word that we don't have to continue eating junk and perpetuating a world of injustice. If enough people make their own changes, and start networking together, we can make the necessary changes without an uproarious revolution. Possible? Maybe. Reading books like this one is a start.

Book Review: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

This is the book that really started me on my journey of gardening. It reads like a fantastic novel, but is filled with facts and eye-opening struggles involved with our current food system.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After renewing this book over and over from my public library, they finally want it back. I can't bear to part with it! I will be buying my own copy, which I anticipate reading and referring to until it's quite shabby.

Barbara Kingsolver sets out with her family to spend a year eating food within a 100 mile radius of her rural Virginia home. Whatever she and her family don't grow or produce themselves, or cannot be found from local sources, they will go without. There are a few exceptions made at the onset (coffee being number one). However, the exceptions don't detract from the project as a whole. Starting in April, the family goes week by week, month by month, eating what is in season and available locally. The goal: to prove that an 'average' American family can be part of the locavore movement successfully. Kingsolver acknowledges that most families do not have access to the land like her family does in growing food, so she focuses portions of the book on farmer's markets and community supported agriculture (CSA's) as well.

The book reads like great fiction, filled with passion. Kingsolver is a gifted writer who breathes immense life into every story she creates, and this 'true story' is no exception. Each of her family members has a place in the book, as well. Her partner, Steven Hopp, includes timely, researched essays on pertinent issues effecting our current food economy (and points to valuable websites and resources for further info). Her oldest daughter, Camille, writes a section after each chapter with humorous observations and recipes (even though at times she comes across as strangely smug beyond her young years, and at times is downright annoying). The youngest daughter, Lily, while not credited as a coauthor like the others, is a huge presence within the family's story as she learns to raise chickens and gains incredible passion about every growing project as only a young child can.

I was surprised to read that the family intended to eat some of their own chickens (for some reason I pegged Kingsolver and her family as the vegetarian 'type'...not the first assumption she shattered for me). I read about the process of butchering the chickens (and the turkeys), and was not horrified like I expected--Kingsolver brings humanity and respect to the life cycle of these animals--raised by her family with the best poultry life possible.

Kingsolver introduces the reader to many of the families surrounding hers, who all play a part in the community. The idea of community is a central theme in this book, as Kingsolver and her family branch out with their neighbors, speak personally to area farmers, and learn valuable lessons from those in their little corner of the earth.

If I tried to outline every important fact I learned from this book, the review would take up pages. Each time I flip through the pages another powerful idea pops out at me, and continues to inspire me on my own journey to attempt a more sustainable lifestyle.

I finished this book months before I finally wrote a review about it, because it affected me so profoundly. I couldn't seem to find the right words to describe how the book altered my perspective about many things in my life. Perhaps I am biased because Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors, and this a book about a subject very near and dear to my heart (sustainable living). Or maybe the book touched me because so many pieces of the story brought back strong memories of my rural past: details that I once found boring and unbearably quaint were unearthed with a new passion and desire to reconnect to my roots. I read other scathing reviews about the book that accused Kingsolver of being sanctimonious, but all I can feel in her words is pure passion, at times, wry humor...and a consistent sense of realness. This is not your typical 'gardening book', it is a book that has the ability to change your life.

Book Review: Fresh Food from Small Spaces

Fresh Food from Small Spaces: The Square-Inch Gardener's Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting by R.J. Ruppenthal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sort of a 'quick guide' that leads the reader to visualize the possibilities they have for producing some of their own food, R.J. Ruppenthal packs a lot of ideas into this simple, short read. He takes a refreshing look at growing food in VERY small spaces. I say 'refreshing' because I've read so many wonderful gardening books loaded with ideas that stop me in my tracks once I realize how much SPACE is needed. Through his own trial and error he has learned to maximize his small apartment and patio to produce a good portion of his own food.

He has nice descriptions of effective containers for veggies, where to place them, and how to care for them. He provides many good ideas for helpful tools like homemade coldframes that are small enough to fit on a balcony or patio, which can provide year-round leafy greens. He doesn't just focus on veggies, however. I was enlightened by his chapter on sprouts. I really had no idea that sprouts are so nutritious and are so simple to grow. The author grows pounds of sprouts of many varieties each week on top of his refrigerator! His chapter on fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi and saurkraut made me want to try the processes out for myself. I was astounded by the idea of housing some chickens in a tiny yard, but he explained his ideas for a chicken 'tractor' (a pen that is moved around the outdoor space), vertical chicken coops, or miniature coops. He explains the possibility of keeping a beehive in an urban outdoor space, and of growing mushrooms just about anywhere.

What I liked about this book is that it was realistic and yet hopeful. The author admits that it is really not possible to be completely self-sufficient in an urban lifestyle. He writes that an urban gardener could probably grow 20 to 40 percent of his nutrition needs. However, he also describes scenarios of specializing in one food production within your space and then bartering with someone else who specializes in another (the oldest and purest form of free trade!). His main point is that no, in an urban setting with lack of land/space, you will not become completely self sufficient, but you can at least depend on yourself for a portion of your food and keep your food costs down. He is not alone in his opinion that food prices will inevitably go up as we face an energy crisis, so learning some ways to grow at least some of your food is a good idea. The author emphasizes that the techniques he describes are not new, and that before the last couple of generations who have grown up in our cheap-fuel-lifestyle (which includes cheap, albeit not always healthy, food), growing as much of your own food used to be just a normal part of life. He feels it is imperative that we reconnect with that spirit of our not-so-distant ancestors.

The author describes some of the uncomfortable changes we might be facing in a society that has built this cheap-fuel-lifestyle, once that source of energy is depleted, and once food production is also affected by climate change and the harmful effects of industrial farming. He approaches the possible changes with amazing hope, however. Though he doesn't describe himself as a survivalist, he has some practical thoughts on getting prepared for looming shortages in food and energy.

Though not incredibly detailed in every topic, I found this book very useful and it has inspired me to look further into some grow-it or produce-it-yourself methods beyond just vegetable gardens.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Hope's Edge

Here is a book I finished a few days ago that I think relates well to anyone interested in growing food organically and trying to understand why hunger is widespead in the world. Wonderful book by a fantastic author! My review:

Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Frances Moore Lappe and her daughter Anna don't seem to shy away from any challenge during their travels across several continents in this spectacular book. Described as the 'next Diet for a Small Planet', it is fun to meet the daughter who was just a tot when Frances published her first book. Now, as a team, mother and daughter pick up where "Diet..." left off.

Most of the book is written by Frances as she describes many of the social visionaries she and Anna met during their trip. Each chapter includes several essays written by Anna, whose insight and honesty is inspiring, especially when you realize that she was in her early 20s at the time they made their journey. Her point of view comes from a younger generation, and it's a pertinent inclusion.

Each country they visit has a whole different set of social problems and people trying to find solutions for those problems. Along with examining how local peoples are working to find answers to their sometimes overwhelming issues, Frances and Anna are consistently showing the ways the issues connect to the bigger picture, and how all of our decisions affect each other person on the planet.

Though the driving point revolves around world hunger and how completely unnecessary it is (Lappe maintains that we are in world of plenty, and that our current systems worldwide cause hunger), there are many other issues discussed.

Starting on American soil, the Lappes discuss the Edible Schoolyard, a perfect example of empowering, enabling and connecting kids to growing food along with their self-worth. Another inspiring project; former prisoners working the soil and learning to grow organic produce on otherwise unused plots.

From Brazil, the Lappes take a look at the severe discrepancy between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots', and the MST, a controversial group of landless people who move in and occupy portions of unused land. While in Brazil they visit Belo Horizonte, a city determined to assure that every citizen has access to affordable meals and local organic produce.

Bangledesh proves to hold hope for the Lappes, despite the common thought that this country is a 'basketcase' due to its huge population and constant disasters, both ecological and economic. Even though Frances herself is saddened by the gulf between male and female, she ultimately believes in the country's ability to provide for its people. The Grameen Bank, originator of 'micro-loans'(usually a few hundred dollars) to help women start their own livelihoods in order to support their families, is examined in-depth by the Lappes. Frances admits that she was hoping to leave Bangledesh with proof that hope is justified in even the poorest of nations, but instead realized that hope cannot be 'proven' or 'justified' by anyone...it is a movement that one must jump into, messiness and all, and just keep pushing for answers.

India brings us people who are fighting against patenting life-forms (i.e. the neem tree, which has many uses that have been passed down for thousands of years), as well as farmers who are giving up conventional farming for organic methods in response to terrible illness, debt and uncontrollable pests. We also see India's seed-saving groups, who are recognizing the deep value of diverse, indigenous crops. The chapter on India ends with a chilling scene in which Frances and Anna meet a leader at the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. When questioned what would happen to the tons of surplus grain the Lappes had learned about (equal to 32 pounds per citizen), Shanta Kumar flatly stated that it would not be available to India's citizens, who 'have received enough handouts'. With monsoon season looming, export was unlikely, and the grain was likely to rot, rather than go to hungry citizens. Lappe was sharply aware in that moment of the disconnect many leaders have to the solutions their own people are developing, the work being done to improve daily life--and how some leaders can reduce these citizens simply to helpless people, always looking for handouts.

In Kenya the Lappes learn about the Green Belt Movement (women of Kenya planting trees, trees and more trees), the idea of 'gunnysack gardens' (villagers growing greens and veggies next to their huts in literal gunnysacks), and more village farmers becoming aware of the huge disadvantages of chemicals in agriculture.

Spanning several European countries, the Lappes write a wonderful chapter on Fair Trade and how it has grown, with tremendous speed, worldwide.

Ending up back in America, the Lappes visit Wisconsin and see how family farms are being thrown away as big agriculture moves in. While showing us even more devastating effects of conventional agriculture, the Lappes also show positive movements that are growing and giving us as American consumers real choices that can make changes in how food is grown and distributed.

Lappe includes recipes from every region that tempt and intrigue! I have to say, compared to the recipes she included in Diet for a Small Planet, these seem to be much more palatable and accessible to the average American.

Wrapping up the book is a list of 5 "Liberating Ideas" that can help each one of us break the mental map that may hold us back from finding real solutions.

Throughout the book, the Lappe women continuously reach within themselves to 'check' their opinions. They humbly admit that they could be wrong about any number of things, but that all they can do is write what they have seen, learned, and know. I admire the honesty and deep concern and insight these two women exhibit.

There is no possible way for me to include all the valuable lessons, ideas, and thought-provoking stories this book holds. I've left out many specific leaders, peoples, and inspirations that kept me turning each page with more hope and clarity.

Book Review: Organic Gardening: The Whole Story

I have a book list a mile long about all things gardening. I am an old-fashioned bibliophile...don't hand me a Kindle or a website (although admittedly, I can peruse the internet for hours)...hand me a library card. My local library has a huge collection of books that I hope to get through in this journey of learning to grow organic food.

I just finished reading Organic Gardening: The Whole Story by Alan and Jackie Gear. I was surprised to find that I was the very first to write a reiview on it for GoodReads.com (one of those websites, by the way, that sucks me in for hours). I found this book VERY informative and it gave me some new topics to look into. Here is my review:

Organic Gardening: The Whole Story by Jackie Gear

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While I was skeptical that this medium-sized book could actually provide the 'whole story' of organic gardening, I have to admit the authors packed a lot of wonderful information within its pages.

My first surprise was a foreword by none other than...Prince Charles! I had no idea that His Royal Highness was an avid supporter of organic gardening. A foreword by the Prince of Wales definitely made me sit a little straighter as I turned those first few pages; I figured there must be something of value to be found if the Prince was involved!

Written by Alan and Jackie Gear from the UK, the narrative follows their story of success in getting the word out about organic gardening. Both scientists, they gave up lucrative job prospects immediately after graduation to move to a small property owned by Lawrence Hills. Admitted idealists setting out in the world in the era of the 'back to the land' movement, they lived on a tiny salary and worked hard to research organic methods of growing vegetables and fruits under the guidance of Hills. With this humble beginning in the mid-70's (at first they lived in a shack with no plumbing and seemed to live on their idealistic passion alone), their small trial gardens grew into the Henry Doubleday Research Association, and they moved to a larger property which they transformed into Ryton Gardens. Ryton Gardens is still open to the public (along with other centers that HDRA has opened throughout the past 30 years) and provides a wealth of information about many aspects of organic gardening. Prince Charles became the HDRA's patron and along with his support and the support of thousands-and-growing membership in the organization, they were able to expand with many wonderful research projects and public awareness programs.

The Gears wanted to make organic gardening/food production accessible to every type of person, not just the 'hippies' of their day. When they first started out, the ideas surrounding sustainable living and organic growing were considered 'bizarre and crazy', or 'cranky' (the Gears must have used the term cranky dozens of times and I never ceased to be amused by the British use of the word). In my opinion, they DID bring their message to as many people as possible. Despite the fancy schmancy foreword by Prince Charles, there was a real down-to-earth quality to this book. No matter the gardening background, whether novice (me, me!) or lifetime seasoned cultivator, the Gears have a message for everyone. The dedication to their passions and beliefs is commendable--they are truly a couple who 'walk the talk'. I was surprised and touched that they made a conscious decision to remain childless in order to dedicate their lives to their cause (and to make a tiny mark in the problem of over-population). The couple made their organization and its growth their passion, their family, their life. With their seemingly tireless guidance as directors of HDRA (now called Garden Organic), the organization grew and branched out in many directions.

Scattered throughout the narrative of HDRA's history are timely and well-researched notes about the various reasons organic growing is so important. Many of the things we are just starting to realize about conventional, chemically-driven agriculture are the very things the authors have been trying to teach the public since the beginning of their careers. From loss of fertile land, erosion, traces of chemicals in the vegetables themselves, to the sheer amount of fossil fuels needed to produce the chemicals for fertilizers and pesticides, the book makes a clear, no nonsense case for growing food organically.

I was pleasantly surprised to find some information--whole chapters in fact--on topics I wasn't expecting but that left me feeling hopeful. Some of the shoot-off topics: third world countries and their specific hurdles, heirloom varieties and the dedication being made to save them from disappearing, the challenges schools face in reaching out to children when incorporating gardening into the education system.

Although most of the events and descriptions in the book are from the UK, the authors made many parallels to the US and the rest of the world, so I found the information very relevant. In fact, they cited countless books and organizations, many in the US, for further investigation.

In all, I felt that even if the book didn't tell the 'whole story' of organic gardening, it succeeded in answering many of the questions people may have in today's world. I found myself wanting to visit Ryton Gardens to see first-hand the demonstrations and the wealth of information available. This was a positive book, and full of hope. Alan and Jackie Gear are obviously dedicated to their passion of growing organically and have worked endlessly to spread their research, ideas, and strong beliefs in the possibility of an organic, sustainable future. Now retired from the organization they co-founded, they continue to offer information and consultation to those seeking advice and direction in today's growing organic movement.