Farmbrarian

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Right now, in forests across Canada and the Northeastern US, sweet sap is dripping out of maple trees and being boiled down to make our favorite pancake topping–maple syrup. Tim Herd celebrates this tradition in his new book Maple Sugar From Sap to Syrup: The History, Lore, and How-To Behind This Sweet Treat (2011).

The small resource is an enjoyable collage of images and text, history and how-to. Herd discusses Native American techniques for processing sap, advances and other uses, tips for tapping trees and an identification guide for different maple varieties. The book concludes with a wide mix of recipes.

For anyone interested in Slow Food and the concept of terroir, Maple Sugar a book worth browsing. The guide would also be a great additional to a grade school curriculum.

You might also like: American Terroir: Savoring the Flavors of Our Woods, Waters, and Fields

Here are four books that will appeal to those of us who are anxiously awaiting warmer months and the bounty that will surely follow!

Heirloom: Notes from an Accidental Tomato Farmer by Tim Stark

If you drool over the exotic tomato varieties of heirloom seed catalogs, then you’ll likely enjoy this tale of a New Yorker who abandons his corporate life for the country. Publisher’s Weekly explains that “[Stark] illustrates the unlikely bond between the tomato-laden farm and the urban table.”

Blithe Tomato by Mike Madison

Farmer Mike Madison, brother of the well-known cookbook author Deborah Madison, writes about the joys and perils of running a small farm through vignettes on “gophers,” “foraging,” “figs” and other topics.

It’s a Long Road to a Tomato by Keith Stewart

Another widely praised tale of a New Yorker transplanted to the rural countryside. Keith Stewart shares a wealth of knowledge gained from more than twenty years on his farm in upstate New York.

The $64 Tomato by William Alexander

Through his book, “[Alexander] explores the true costs — and joys — of working one’s own soil,” says NPR. A story any home gardener will likely connect with.

Today, farming memoirs abound. We’ve featured many books on how a farmer was “grown,” such as The Dirty Life, Made From Scratch, Farm City and Goat Song. Growing a Farmer: How I Learned to Live Off the Land (2011) isn’t necessarily the most unique tale. But it is a great account of one modern farmer’s story, and above all else it is a good read.

Kurt Timmermeister is a restaurant owner turned full-time farmer on Seattle’s Vashon Island. The book is organized by aspects of the farm–vegetables, dairy, pigs, etc. Each chapter contains personal experiences as well as reflections, recipes, techniques and more. Today the farm stays afloat by selling artisan cheese and providing Sunday dinners at the farm.

Despite having no writing background, Timmermeister’s book is cohesive and interesting. Indeed there are random, seemingly out of place bits strewn around, but to me that only gave him and his farm a sense of accessibility. I could easily picture myself on his farm churning butter or pressing cider. In fact, the entire tale made me think that I too could become a farmer like him.

In the end, despite many other similar books, Growing a Farmer is a worthy read. Timmermeister portrays his deep respect for the land and desire to return to a simpler time (although he still uses an iPod on particularly monotonous farm tasks). A renewed interest in urban farming has yielded many similar stories, which is wonderful for the health of people and land. I suspect Timmermeister might even convince a few others to “grow” themselves into farmers.

Find it on Amazon, or at your local library.

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Amelia Bedelia’s First Apple Pie written by Herman Parish and illustrated by Lynne Avril

Herman Parish features a younger Amelia in this colorful and humorous tale of Amelia Bedelia’s First Apple Pie (2010). To gather apples for an Autumn favorite, Amelia and her grandpa visit the nearby farmer’s market. “Do we need to buy a farmer?” Amelia asks. Grandpa laughs and informs her that the farmer’s market sells fresher apples than the grocery store. Heirloom and more recognizable varieties of apples are beautifully drawn. Then Amelia and her grandma join Granny Smith in the kitchen to bake pie. Of course, a bit of chaos ensues. Recommended for preschool-grade 2.

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The Good Garden written by Katie Smith Milway and illustrated by Sylvie Daigneault

In The Good Garden: How One Family Went from Hunger to Having Enough (2010), a rural Hondoran family struggles to grow enough food to survive until a local teacher introduced them to sustainable agriculture principles. Young readers will learn about the existence of global food insecurity in this tale of one family’s struggle to replenish infertile land by composting, building terraces and companion planting. Colored pencil drawings bring the story to life. Some basic Spanish vocabulary is also introduced. Recommended for grades 3-5.

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Compost Stew written by Mary McKenna Siddals and illustrated by Ashley Wolff

Practice the alphabet and learn how to make compost with this rhyming recipe! Mary McKenna Siddals has written a clever story that lists A-Z ingredients for making nature’s fertilizer. Children will love the lively illustrations that incorporate recycled items. Recommended for kindergarten-grade 2.

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.

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In a recent Grist article, Michael Pollan named Farm Together Now: A Portrait of People, Places, and Ideas for a New Food Movement (2010) his “favorite book of the season.” This powerful and inspirational book deserves every bit of praise.

In the book, authors Amy Franceschini and Daniel Tucker give a voice to individuals working at the grassroots level to improve food throughout the United States. They specifically profile twenty projects of varying nature and, through interviews, highlight the diverse work being done by farmers, activists, social workers, and environmentalists.

The interview style allows you to interact with the featured individuals on an intimate level. You’ll directly learn about the hopes, fears and accomplishments of people such as the founders of Participation Park in Baltimore–where a vacant lot is now being used to grow food and revive the surrounding, impoverished community. Some of the people, like Myles Harston of AquaRanch, have created model systems or initiatives that are now being replicated. Others are working to foster the next generation of farmers through education and training. The portraits also demonstrate that although the rewards can be great, the challenges are many. Financial and policy barriers, for example, often impede efforts.

The growers also get to share their stories visually through Anne Hamersky‘s talented photojournalism. She beautifully captures the raw joy, determination and satisfaction of the people and places of Farm Together Now. The images that accompany each profile speak as loudly as the interviews.

Everyone needs to eat, and these stories illustrate how food issues permeate all aspects of society. Read Farm Together Now and get to know those who are making great strides towards improving access to clean, healthy food, achieving social and environmental justice, and preserving food and farming traditions. You’ll gain a greater understanding of the impact individual efforts can have on improving our food system. An even greater impact can be made if we work to farm together–now!

Buy this book instead of borrowing from your library, if you can. Fifty percent of the profits will help fund “new documentaries about food production in the United States” (189). Contest update: Thanks to everyone who participated and congratulations to our randomly selected winner Bonnie Schulz. Lookout for more giveaways in the future!

You might also like: Farmer Jane: Women Changing the Way We Eat by Temra Costa

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“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

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The United States has some amazing and very diverse food traditions. Perhaps you’re interested in “Mississippi Mullet Salad,” also referred to as “Biloxi Bacon” (certainly more appetizing by that name). And sure, Boston has its baked beans recipe (it is Bean Town after all), but are you aware of “Nebraska Baked Beans”?

Author Mark Kurlansky pulls off a truly intriguing and unique project in his book The Food of a Younger Land. Kurlansky poured through the lost files of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) – a Great Depression era, New Deal program that hired thousands of writers across the country to piece together a thorough look at how Americans ate. The project was called America Eats. Sadly, it was interrupted by the bombing of Pearl Harbor and subsequent  focus on World War II and was never finished.

Ultimately, The Food of a Younger Land is a patchwork of recipes and food stories from the America Eats project. Each of America’s many, many food traditions is worthy of being remembered, if for no other reason than the curiosity of history. Kurlansky has provided a great service by assembling this book. After all, you never know when you might like to try “Indian Persimmon Pudding,” or “Georgia Possum and Taters.”

You might also like: Twain’s Feast: Searching For America’s Lost Foods In the Footsteps of Samuel Clemens by Andrew Beahrs

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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