Farmbrarian

For those of you looking for short but interesting reads, check out the following articles from The New York Times: “The Farmers Are Local, the Products Exotic” and “Field Report: Family Heirlooms.” Both pieces tell fresh, personal stories of farmers growing unusual crop varieties such as Roman mint, Iroquois white corn and jostaberries. Some of the farmers featured are also raising rare livestock breeds. “They’re more rare than pandas,” Kris Spence says of the American Guinea hog piglets being raised on Spence Farm in central Illinois (Field Report).

Applaud the Times for spotlighting crop diversity by reading the two articles. And if you have time for another, read the tale of city-girl Kim Severson’s ‘haycation’ on a New York state farm also printed in the Times and available here.