Farmbrarian

Author and photographer Lisa Hamilton features three farmers who decide eschew conventional agriculture for methods they (and we) view as healthier for people and the planet. The value of this book is in the more realistic evaluation of forgoing conventional practices. Namely, running an organic farm, or simply refusing to use conventional pesticides, makes life more difficult in a lot of ways. Growing a diverse crop and listening to the land is hard work and for the farmers featured here things are not as rosy as we might idealize. Hamilton focuses on the people, the farmers, and this is an important distinction if we are to foster more farmers like these brave souls.

On Amazon or at your local library.

The New York Times called Michele Owens’ Grow The Good Life (2011) “breezy, cantankerous and funny.” That description alone should peak anyone’s interest, but here’s a bit more about the book.

Owens has been gardening for more than two decades and is a contributor to the popular blog Garden Rant. Her book is a memoir of sorts that discusses the many joys of vegetable gardening. Growing your own food can be good for the earth, good for you physical and mental health, and good for your pocketbook. Owens shows that the benefits are many. Her book might be just what you need to go from contemplating gardening to getting your hands dirty.

On Amazon or at your local library.

I know there is still someone left on your list, so here are a few book suggestions that you can order from Amazon and still get it under the tree on time. You might have to rush the shipping, but that’s better than being late!

Send gift straight from Amazon!

How about Joel Salatin’s newest work? He’s the face of sustainable agriculture and his books are always worth a read! Better yet, they are perfect gifts to introduce someone to sustainable agriculture without being overwhelming.

In case you forgot, Salatin was featured by Michael Pollan in his wonderful book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. In this book he takes a look at modern life as compared to our simpler, agrarian roots. He has a strong opinion, but I always find myself interested in what he has to say.

Speaking of Michael Pollan, what could be a better gift than his original and inspiring book, or the brand new young reader’s edition. I picked this out as a perfect gift for my young niece.

In the book, Pollan traces four different meals from farm (or factory) to plate. He includes meals from McDonald’s, conventional farms, large-scale organic farms and the aforementioned Joel Salatin’s sustainable farm in Virginia.

Its the perfect starting point for your friend who’s just getting interested in her food and it is a great reminder for your CSA-subscribing friend. This book should be required reading for everyone.

And for your history-buff, food-loving friend, a copy of Twain’s Feast is the perfect stocking stuffer. In one of my favorite books I’ve reviewed, Beahrs follows Twain along his life’s journey and tells of the foods he would have encountered. Its a far cry from today where we can eat anything at any season and encounter tens of thousands of packaged, processed foods each time we visit the grocery store. Here’s my full review.

If I didn’t include that perfect gift, just keep digging though our archives. I promise you’ll find it!
What books are you giving for Christmas?

Find this book on Amazon or at your local library!

Many of you may already know Jenna Woginrich. She is the author of Made from Scratch, which we’ve reviewed, and Chick Days, a guide to raising chickens. She also has an immense following on her blog Cold Antler Farm, where she writes about her daily farming experiences. Now Jenna has a new book out. Barnheart is a memoir about Jenna’s experiences trying to make it as a small farmer in rural New York. She discusses trials, tribulations and the joys that come with owning livestock and trying to live a sustainable life. Jenna’s voice is always entertaining and insightful. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on her newest book.

On Amazon or at your local library.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds has been a leader in selling rare seed varieties for years. And now the founders of Baker Creek, Jere and Emilee Gettle, have published a guide for growing 50 different heirloom vegetables. The Heirloom Life Gardener (Oct. 2011) includes advice on planting, growing, eating and seed saving–and I’m sure much more! The Gettle’s play a crucial role in supporting sustainable agriculture with their seed saving business. Now they’re helping even more by sharing their wealth of knowledge about how to cultivate these foods.

Read an excerpt of the book on NPR.

Find it on Amazon or at your local library!

Find it on Amazon!

I just learned that an illustrated version of Michael Pollan’s Food Rules: An Eater’s Manifesto is available! The talented Maria Kalman contributed the illustrations to an updated version of Pollan’s popular food guide. Learn more about the collaboration on Michael Pollan’s website.

If one food is ubiquitous to the local food movement, it is the tomato. As we are in the harvest season, many of you are probably canning some this weekend! We’ve all come to realize that the fruit is incredibly delicious when picked ripe off the vine, but we’ve also learned that it doesn’t travel well. We know that most supermarket tomatoes won’t be any good and that purchasing them outside of the summer months is a joke (hydroponics being a possible exception).

In Tomatoland, Barry Estabrook shows readers that there is a lot more to discuss when it comes to the tomato. For example, most tomatoes available in America, especially in winter, were grown in Florida using obscene amounts of pesticides and fertilizers and picked by laborers under slave conditions. In fact, lawsuits are currently in play utilizing 150 year old laws banning slavery. Yes, tomato growing corporations in Florida are being sued for slavery right now.

Readers interested in the tomato specifically, or more generally in the industrial food system, how it evolved and how to improve it, will find Tomatoland a good read.

Find it on Amazon or at your local library!

This reference was originally published in 1881, but it is still a rich and relevant source of information. I stumbled upon the text and only began reading it because of my infatuation with barns. I quickly realized that I’d found a resource that many small-scale or hobby farmers would surely enjoy.

Barns, Sheds & Outbuildings: Placements, Design & Construction (1994) contains 257 illustrations of various barns, sheds and outbuildings. A lengthy description accompanies each building featured. The descriptions explain in more detail the structure and purpose of the building. For example, “Mr. David Lyman’s Barn” was a multipurpose barn, which housed a multitude of farm animals and equipment and provided food storage. His barn was well equipped to serve many purposes. Other barns featured are only for cattle or pigs. Spaces for poultry, ducks, grains, ice, meat preservation and other purposes are all featured.

For those of us who are trying to live a simpler lifestyle by growing our food and raising our own livestock, you’ll surely learn something about farming and it’s accompanying buildings in this book.

Find it on Amazon or at your local library!

So many books on beekeeping exist, I can’t possibly put together a comprehensive list of the best. But here are few that have recently sparked my interest. I never tire of reading about these fascinating insects who play such a pivotal role in our food system.

The Beekeeper’s Bible by Richard Jones and Sharon Sweeney-Lynch

Honeybee Democracy by Thomas D. Seeley

Beekeeping: A Seasonal Guide by Ron Brown

The Beekeeper’s Lament by Hannah Nordhaus

Homemade Living: Keeping Bees with Ashley English

Also find these books at your local library.

Want more suggestions? Check out this great list on GoodReads.

The Beginner’s Guide to Eating Like a Caveman. Or, perhaps, Eat Free in a Backyard Near You! Both would be suitable alternative titles for Hank Shaw’s part cookbook, part how-to  guide, Hunt, Gather, Cook: Finding the Forgotten Feast (2011). I’ll admit, I love the idea of foraging. It entails roaming around outside and eating the freshest, most natural foods available. What’s not to love? (Plus, my nutrition blog is fishandforage.com, which is all about fresh, wild food.)

Once humans invented agriculture, foraging began its decline. Of course, it never died, and if we’re lucky, it never will. Many cultures today still forage as a part of their diet, but by and large we have forgotten much of this skill. Shaw keeps these skills alive  everyday through his blog honest-food.net, which blossomed into this book.

The book itself is interesting and useful, but focuses largely on the mental and logistical aspects of foraging and hunting. Doing any real foraging would certainly require a field guide for help with edible plants. Shaw covers a few wild plants that are commonly foraged and provides recipes for these items. A large portion of the book is an introduction to hunting, specifically covering the whys and the hows for a novice.

Overall readers will find a nice primer on foraging and hunting and then preparing your bounty. These means of eating have provided sustenance since the dawn of time and I encourage you to try them. Eating wild, fresh food is the key to health, and Hunt, Gather, Cook might just help you on your journey.

Find it on Amazon or at a library near you!