Farmbrarian

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Throughout time, humans have domesticated a few select animals to meet their tastes for meat and poultry. In both categories, four species dominate the market: cows, pigs, sheep, and goats for meat and chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese for poultry. In his new book Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food (2010), Paul Greenberg investigates the fish that most often occupy our plates.

Over time, salmon, sea bass, cod, and tuna have emerged as top choices for seafood. Greenberg discusses how the fish gained widespread popularity and the threats each now face as a result. He delves into how humans have attempted to develop aquaculture systems to supplement decreasing wild stocks. And he speculates on the future of the four species.

Our expansive oceans lead most to believe seafood supplies are endless. But fish populations are extremely fragile and cannot support the demand of an ever-increasing human population. More consumers need to be made aware of the complexities associated with seafood. Greenberg’s book gives readers just that.

For a detailed synopsis and excerpt read NPR’s coverage of the book here.

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Illinois is known for its vast fields of corn and soybeans. But nestled in the Mackinaw River Valley, somewhere in between the cities of Peoria and Bloomington, lays Henry’s Farm. The farm is small and diversified with more than 650 varieties of produce being grown each year on 10 acres of land—a stark contrast to the monocrops seen elsewhere throughout the state.

Henry’s sister Terra Brockman describes the rhythms of the farm in her book The Seasons on Henry’s Farm: A Year of Food and Life on a Sustainable Farm (2009). Among the many other food and farming memoirs, this book stands out.

Like the fine mixes of mesclun she describes, Brockman’s book is a beautiful blend. Accounts of planting, harvesting and growing are mixed with childhood memories, family history, and some simple recipes. E.B. White, Shakespeare, Robert Frost and others also appear throughout the text.

Although Henry’s Farm is organically managed, Brockman doesn’t demonize conventional agriculture. Instead she focuses on the inherent values of sustainable farming by discussing biology, ecology, and natural history.

Nominated for a 2010 James Beard Award, Brockman’s yearlong account is captivating. As you read, you’ll practically feel the sweat on your brow, smell the soil on your hands, and taste the produce on your tongue.

Thanks to Agate Publishing for providing a review copy upon request!

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Women everywhere are working to improve the American food system. In her new book Farmer Jane: Woman Changing the Way We Eat (2010), Temra Costa recognizes 26 such women. Inspiring stories are shared about women changing the way we eat in a variety of ways. The book is divided into six chapters to spotlight women who are: growing food in new, dynamic ways; advocating for improved food policies;  promoting local foods; creating support networks; building urban farms; or committing to farming at a young age. Every story is incredibly inspiring and informational.

Traditionally, women have been marginalized in the field of agriculture. But Costa’s book emphasizes that throughout every region of the U.S., women are using their many talents to improve our health, our lands and our future. This book demonstrates, through strong prose and stories of even stronger personalities, that individuals can make great strides towards improving our food system.

Who’s your farmer jane? Visit http://www.farmerjane.org/ to submit your own story. And, thanks to Gibbs Smith for the review copy.

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Award-winning journalist and non-fiction writer Taras Grescoe takes readers on a whirlwind tour of our oceans within his 2008 book Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood. Grescoe seamlessly integrates cultural culinary traditions, investigative reporting and travel writing within the book.

Grescoe begins in New York City where he explores how monkfish gained popularity and how catching the elusive fish harms ocean floors. From there, he moves around the globe: cod in England, sardines in the Mediterranean, shrimp in India, and so on. As Grescoe visits each country, he samples local fare, mingles with fishermen and fishmongers, and discusses the threats facing regional species and waters. Grescoe explains in detail concerns such as overfishing, invasive species and pollution.

Bottomfeeder is meticulously researched and eloquently written. For environmentally conscious consumers who want to learn how to responsibly eat seafood, this is a must-read. Even those well versed in the threats facing our oceans will learn something by reading this book.

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We Planted a Tree written by Diane Muldrow and illustrated by Bob Staake

Beautifully illustrated and eloquently told, We Planted a Tree (2010) is a poem about the wondrous benefits of trees. Trees provide shade, help clean the air, and provide food for many. Staake’s well-known illustrations transport readers around the globe with scenes from Paris, Tokyo, and elsewhere. Muldrow also subtly pays tribute to The Green Belt Movement of Kenya. Recommended for baby-preschool.

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My Garden by Kevin Henkes

2005 Caldacott Medal winner Kevin Henkes ignites children’s imaginations and encourages them to get into the garden in his new book My Garden (2010). Inspired by her mother’s garden, a young girl dreams about a garden of her own where flowers bloom endlessly, jellybeans sprout jellybean bushes, and the tomatoes grow “as big as beach balls.” The large, pastel-colored illustrations are perfect for story time and spring. Recommended for preschool-grade 2.

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That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals by Ruby Roth

In her first book, artist Ruby Roth addresses subjects rarely mentioned in children’s literature: animal cruelty and vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. Roth’s artistry brings the story to life through color and rigid form. She contrasts animals in their natural habitats with scenes of confinement. Although not all animals raised for consumption are subject to such horrible conditions, Roth successfully raises consciousness of the harsh conditions of factory farming. Important lessons about the environmental implications of overfishing and deforestation are also taught. That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals (2009) has received widespread praise for it’s tasteful coverage of topics few, if any, have spoken of. Recommended for grade 3-6.

Click here to visit the book's website!

Editor C.R. Lindemer delivers a humorous and heart-warming collection of stories in True Cow Tales: Literary Sketches and Stories by Farmers, Ranchers, and Dairy Princesses (2009).

Everyday folks who owned cattle or grew up alongside them share their memories in the 40 stories that comprise True Cow Tales. Contributions include loving tales about calves; recounted experiences of dairy princess pageants and tours; stories of roaming herds and subsequent round-ups; and tales that recall the strong family ties forged a midst this all.

Ranchers and farmers will surely relate to the stories, which showcase the wild antics and vivid personalities of the bovine breed.  Those who have never experienced farm life will find the stories enlightening and entertaining.

Overall, the literary voice of the text is elementary. But the raw writing style enhances the experience. The text reads like an oral history anthology. Each tale could have easily been told around the dinner table or lifted from the pages of an old journal. The archival quality of the stories is, by far, the strongest aspect of the book. True Cow Tales preserves stories about small-scale dairy farming that might otherwise have been lost. Luckily, a second volume is in the works.

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Like those who went back to the land in the widespread movement of the 1970’s, more and more people are now attempting to live self-sufficient lifestyles in cities and countrysides alike. For anyone captivated by the idea of breaking with mainstream society to pursue an agrarian lifestyle, this book will greatly pique your interest.

In Back from the Land: How Young Americans Went to Nature in the 1970’s and Why They Came Back (2007), Eleanor Agnew skillfully pieces together her experiences and those of many others as they participated in the Back to the Land exodus. She tells of their aspirations, their many struggles, and the reasons why many eventually entered back into mainstream living.

For younger audiences, Agnew’s story will shed light on some of the often-ignored, more challenging aspects of homesteading; and for those that were part of the movement, the tale will likely provide a poetic avenue for reminiscing.

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Nonfiction titles about ecology abound, but books that blend fictional characters with ecological truths are rare. Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer (2000) is one such rarity.

Three stories sprout, flourish and eventually intertwine during the course of an Appalachian summer. Deanna Wolfe is the sole protector of a national forest who revels in the solitude of the woods; Lusa Maluf Landowski is an educated city-girl who marries into a farming family and struggles for acceptance; and the story’s third plot features feuding neighbors Nannie and Garnett–one prefers organic the other chemical control.

Each story blends heartwarming fiction with science. Kingsolver succeeds in fusing her talent as a storyteller, her formal education in biology, and her personal agricultural interests in this wonderful tale. Readers will fall in love with the characters and increase their understanding of predatory patterns, farming, and other topics simultaneously.

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Every sentence of Novella Carpenter’s Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer (2009) is marinated in the perfect combination of humor, eloquence, grit and ghetto. Once you start reading, you won’t be able to stop.

The story chronicles the author’s successes and failures while farming an abandoned plot of land in a crime-ridden part of Oakland, California. She first tells of adventures raising turkeys, including a hilarious scene in which she chases an escaped bird down a main Oakland thoroughfare. The second portion of the book recounts Carpenter’s experiences raising rabbits on the deck of her second-story apartment. And the final section features two 4-H bred pigs that quickly become neighborhood menaces. Stories of colorful characters encountered along the way are juxtaposed between stories of the ever-growing garden.

Urban farming has been widely discussed as a potential solution to food security and a way to satisfy the growing desire for local food. Carpenter proves that urban farming can do this, and more. She feeds her flocks and pigs with dumpster waste from nearby restaurants; brings unlikely community members together in her squatter space; mingles with culinary stars; and shares her bounty with many.

Novella Carpenter shows us the way of micro-farming in this wonderful book that will leave you with the urge to find your own slab of deserted concrete and begin growing.

Publisher’s Weekly also wildly praised Farm City, calling the book “utterly enchanting.” Read the full review here.

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Leslie Marmon Silko, a well-known Native American author, delivers rich prose and a captivating plot in Gardens in the Dunes (1999). The book is a rare work of fiction that fuses imaginary stories with historical and horticultural facts that will pique the interest of many.

Set at the turn of the 19^th century, Indigo and her older sister are the last members of a little-known tribe living in a desert garden oasis. The story follows the young girls as they struggle to survive persecution by American authorities.

Eventually ‘Indian police’ capture the pair and Indigo is sent to an Indian boarding school, while her sister is forced to move to a reservation. As the two displaced sisters try to reunite, the plot thickens. Silko includes a diverse character set and discusses a great number of historical issues, but the gardens in the dunes remain at the heart of the novel.

An intricate fictional storyline and reoccurring themes of botany, horticulture, and respect for the natural world will keep readers turning the pages. For a more thorough summary, see a brief synopsis in Time magazine or a longer review by the San Francisco Chronicle.

The great majority of our reviews will focus on nonfiction. But occasionally we all need a good fictional tale. Finding fiction that incorporates themes of agriculture, ecology, or other related subjects has proven difficult. If you have any suggestions, please share!