Book: Fields of Plenty by Michael Ableman
Fields of Plenty: A farmer's journey in search of real food and the people who grow it
MIchael Ableman leaves his own farm in Canada in order to visit other organic farmers throughout the United States. He is on a search for "real food" among all the industrial agriculture that farming has become.
The people he visits are all quirky, but each in their own unique ways. They share one common concern, though, and that is the dilution of the term "organic" as it applies to food and agriculture. As with any popular trend, the organic movement is now in the domain of government and bureaucracy with all the costs and benefits that brings.
Reading this book was like returning to my childhood when I rode from farm to farm with my father as he repaired farm equipment for all our neighbors. In return, they would harvest our fields in the Fall. It was always interesting to see how each farmer found their own path through the wilderness...choosing different equipment, different crops, different methods. I found that Ableman's experiences ring true to my own experiences growing up.
Like all good books about food, this book made me hungry as I moved from chapter to chapter. Even though I am a notoriously picky eater, the thought of tasting a ripe peach, fresh from the tree, or blackberries straight from the bush made my mouth water.
It is good to know that there are still farmers who hold to a smaller ideal in their farms -- who nurture each plant with the care it deserves, coaxing out the best food possible. You should seek them out at your local farmer's market. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised.
Technorati Tags: garden, gardening, grow, outdoors, organic, books, food, agriculture
MIchael Ableman leaves his own farm in Canada in order to visit other organic farmers throughout the United States. He is on a search for "real food" among all the industrial agriculture that farming has become.
The people he visits are all quirky, but each in their own unique ways. They share one common concern, though, and that is the dilution of the term "organic" as it applies to food and agriculture. As with any popular trend, the organic movement is now in the domain of government and bureaucracy with all the costs and benefits that brings.
Reading this book was like returning to my childhood when I rode from farm to farm with my father as he repaired farm equipment for all our neighbors. In return, they would harvest our fields in the Fall. It was always interesting to see how each farmer found their own path through the wilderness...choosing different equipment, different crops, different methods. I found that Ableman's experiences ring true to my own experiences growing up.
Like all good books about food, this book made me hungry as I moved from chapter to chapter. Even though I am a notoriously picky eater, the thought of tasting a ripe peach, fresh from the tree, or blackberries straight from the bush made my mouth water.
It is good to know that there are still farmers who hold to a smaller ideal in their farms -- who nurture each plant with the care it deserves, coaxing out the best food possible. You should seek them out at your local farmer's market. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised.
Technorati Tags: garden, gardening, grow, outdoors, organic, books, food, agriculture
posted by Douglas at 10:33 AM
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