Farmbrarian

Fukuoka tells us greening the desert is the only way we’ll achieve sustainable agriculture.

Most of you are probably familiar with The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming, which was Masanobu Fukuoka’s 1978 international best seller on natural farming.

Now he gives us Sowing Seeds in the Desert: Natural Farming, Global Restoration, and Ultimate Food Security. An intriguing and ambitious name, to be sure.

As the title implies, his premise is that we’ll need to ultimately cultivate food in the world’s vast deserts in order to achieve food security. This theory was honed over decades of international travel following his first book.

My favorite thing about this book? It proposes an actual solution, rather than simply discussing (or worse – complaining about) the problem. Whether it is truly the only long-term solution, I can’t say, but I’m glad to have a proposal. If we continue to approach the problem of unsustainable agriculture in this way we might actually get somewhere.

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.

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.

Dubbed a “modern-day Walden,” Twelve by Twelve (2010) recounts William Powers’ time spent living in a twelve-foot by twelve-foot home with no electricity or running water in rural North Carolina. Powers does include stories of his daily activities, but Twelve by Twelve is predominately filled with reflections on philosophy, environmental degradation and globalization.

After years working on environmental initiatives in the Global South, Powers returns to the United States and experiences massive culture shock. He is especially taken aback by the tremendous amount of resources consumed by Americans. At one point he reflects on his conservation work and wonders, “Have I merely been rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic?” (10). Luckily, Powers finds solace in a 12 x 12 cabin where he is able to escape the cars, malls, subdivisions and fast-food restaurants that define modern American culture and contemplate the purpose and meaning of life.

Powers’ reflects on two main concepts during his time in the 12 x 12. The first is the idea of a flat world, or the rise of a global economy and all that comes with it. He then introduced the concept of wildcrafting. Wildcrafters, he explains, are “people shaping their inner and outer worlds to the flow of nature, rather than trying to mold the natural world into a shape that is usable in the industrial world”(93). Even if you aren’t familiar with the term wildcrafters, you’re likely one of them. Wildcrafters work to minimize their carbon footprint; they support local, artisan initiatives; they garden and grow their own food; and they recognize their role in a larger ecosystem.

Although the entirety of Twelve by Twelve doesn’t directly relate to food and farming, every thought connects to the overarching belief that a simpler life lived in tune with nature leads to greater happiness. “Grab tools and press seeds into this soft world,” Powers tells us (260).

On Amazon or at your library.

You might also like: Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology by Eric Brende

Author Simon Fairlie aggressively tackles the sensitive topic of eating animals in his new book Meat: A Benign Extravagance (out Feb. 8). His explicit purpose is to evaluate the sustainability of raising livestock–or the long-term ability to feed the human population while maintaining as much of the natural ecosystem as possible. Dietary health and morality, he rightly suggests, are topics for other books.

Meat examines the many facets of the debate at great length. For example, Fairlie examines the oft cited statistic that each kilogram of beef we eat required 100,000 liters of water. After consideration from every possible angle, he determines that this figure is “wildly inaccurate” for the majority of cattle around the world. Other topics covered include: land requirements for livestock versus plants, the natural place for animals in an ecosystem, vegan agriculture, the interesting alliance between the meat and vegetable oil industries, greenhouse gas contributions of eating animal products (very thorough), and permaculture.

Fairlie himself spent several years as a vegetarian, but now eats meat. He has considerable and varying farming experience and presents the arguments as objectively as can be expected (no one can be perfectly objective, which he acknowledges). In many cases he points out when pro-vegan or pro-meat writers make misleading statements, present statistics steeped in partial-truth, or repeat “facts” without proper groundwork. In the end he pushes for a “default livestock” agricultural system where animals fit into the picture without consuming considerable resources that could be directly consumed by humans. For example, grazing cattle on steep, natural grassland that can’t readily be farmed. Or feeding food scraps or excess harvest to pigs, which can be eaten in leaner times. In effect, a pig acts as a caloric savings account (piggy-bank?) that can be accessed later. The “default livestock” system represents a lower level of meat consumption than the current Western average, but specific types of meat eating is supported nonetheless.

Meat is written from an English perspective, even addressing the question of whether Britain could feed itself. This has no real bearing on the book, however, because many situations are evaluated, and his conclusions apply well around the world. To say the least, reading this book was an educational experience. Many other books have addressed this topic, but none so thoroughly as Fairlie’s work. This is a tremendous reference, albeit a thick one, that should be perused by all.

On Amazon or at your local library.

Thanks to Chelsea Green for providing a review copy of the book.

You might also like: The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith and Diet For a Hot Planet by Anna Lappe.

Click to find at a library near you!

“Point is, it feels good to get dirty, work hard, and slow down.”

And so begins Jenna Woginrich’s guide to living a simple life filled with homemade and homegrown pleasures. She shares stories and advice on how to become more self-sufficient, covering a range of topics like making your own clothes, providing your own entertainment, and of course growing your own food.

Nowadays, you can find lots of how-to books about raising backyard chickens (Woginrich herself has a new book out titled Chick Days) or about keeping bees. More and more people are rediscovering the satisfaction that comes with producing your own food. And many have begun doing so as an environmental effort. However, sourcing clean food is only one piece of the sustainable puzzle.

Most of us are burdened with unnecessary possessions; and consumerism constantly lures us in with false promises of fulfillment. Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life (2008) illustrates that greater happiness can come from less. Woginrich fills each chapter first with personal stories and ends with a how-to summary. The stories communicate her passion for the homesteading lifestyle. And readers will see that so much joy can come from gathering eggs right from under the hen or from knitting creations from fur you sheared yourself.

Made from Scratch will introduce you to new hobbies and illustrate how approachable they really are. You don’t need to be an expert or own lots of land to learn any of the skills discussed in this great, little resource.

Read more about Jenna Woginrich’s adventures in homesteading on her fabulous blog Cold Antler Farm.

You might also like: Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter

Click to find at a library near you!

Kristin Kimball, a New York based journalist, begins a whirlwind romance with a fervid farmer, and she quickly discovers that she’s also deeply in love with the agrarian lifestyle. The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food and Love is yet another story of a city girl turned farmer. Most of the memoir is set on a farm in upstate New York, where Kimball and her soon-to-be husband struggle to make their dream—to provide a year-round CSA with only the use of horsepower—a reality. Although the plot is similar to many others, the personal journey woven throughout sets this book apart.

In addition to discussing the challenges of farming, nose-to-tail cooking, and working with horses, Kimball incorporates her story of love, life and new beginnings. Throughout the book, Kimball constantly grapples with her fear of commitment. And readers are left wondering if she’ll stay on the farm or run.

The concept of providing a year-round CSA that extends beyond just vegetables to include meats, cheeses, maple sugar, and even grains is extremely ambitious. Rarely today does a small, organic farm provide so much—and with only the use of horsepower! The implementation and execution of such a comprehensive program will intrigue many. But Kimball doesn’t spend too much time discussing logistics. Instead, as the subtitle mentions, her conversation equally discusses food, farming and love. The combination is perfectly executed for those interested in a romantic read about the satisfactions of an agrarian lifestyle.

You might also like: The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald

Click to find at a library near you!

New technologies are being developed daily and marketed as tools that will make our lives easier—but do they? Eric Brende begins an 18-month exploration into life without modern technologies in hopes of answering that question. His experiences living off the grid are recorded in his 2005 book Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology.

Although the relevance of such a story to food and farming might not be evident, the connection is strong. Brende and his wife join a small community of Mininites (similar to the more well known Anabaptist sect the Amish) and do little more than work the land to get by. They plant an expansive garden as well as fields of cash crops; they milk a cow and raise a pig; and much time is spent preserving foods to get through the winter. By minimizing expensive ‘conveniences’ and growing their own food, Brende and his wife are able to escape the rat race.

Brende demonstrates through keen storytelling and reflection that technology often does no more than further complicate our lives. This book will give you a glimpse into a simple lifestyle that maximizes face-to-face communication, community and family support, and physical exertion. Brende’s tale calls into question our modern lifestyle where we talk on cell phones while driving expensive cars from office jobs to suburban homes where we retreat in front of televisions.

Click here to find at a library near you!

Author David Montgomery accomplishes quite a feat with his 2007 work, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations. He takes a potentially mundane topic, dirt, and transforms it into an entertainingly educational trip through history.

As the name implies, societies throughout history rely on little more than their land’s ability to produce food. In fact, as the author shows, civilizations have been destroyed so many times in the past due to eroded and depleted soil that it is essentially predictable in any society. And after all, according to Wendell Berry, “what we do to the land, we do to ourselves” (1).

Certainly today we face enormous challenges with respect to our soil. Around the globe the earth faced abusive agriculture for hundreds or thousands of years, and with our current population, this pressure will only increase. We have undoubtedly increased crop yields using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, but this high output, monocrop agriculture is clearly taking faster than it replenishes. Further, those impressive yields are no longer increasing and may even be declining. This inevitably leads to the usage of marginal lands to grow food. Unfortunately, history holds that this “fencerow to fencerow” and beyond system of agriculture only serves to erode a civilization until it is just a memory. This memory, of course, will also stand as a warning for all other civilizations willing to listen before it is too late.

You might also like: Pandora’s Seed: The Unforeseen Costs of Civilization by Spencer Wells

Click here to find at a library near you!

There is a perceived battle between ranchers and environmentalists. Ranchers intend to raise animals without consideration for the land, while environmentalists fight tooth and nail against the exploitation of nature. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Author Courtney White shows that these two groups hold nearly identical intentions in his book Revolution on the Range: The Rise of a New Ranch in the American West.

There are many examples of land being severely damaged by overgrazing. For this reason, many groups fight for tighter restrictions on livestock grazing, especially on public lands. White thoroughly details, however, that livestock can play an integral role in restoring an ecosystem when used properly.

His picture is painted using many different ranches across the American West. The action-oriented book is ripe with solutions, and as a result will be very useful in the ongoing task of land management. To an average person though, readability suffers.

White lays out his “new ranch” as an integral part of land conservation. To him, ranching and environmentalism are not only compatible, they are co-dependent. The arguments are compelling, and the solutions are innovative and realistic. The book is a great addition to the conservation literature.