Product Description
To an increasing number of American families the CSA (community supported agriculture) is the answer to the globalization of our food supply. The premise is simple: create a partnership between local farmers and nearby consumers, who become members or subscribers in support of the farm. In exchange for paying in advance—at the beginning of the growing season, when the farm needs financing—CSA members receive the freshest, healthiest produce throughout the season and keep money, jobs, and farms in their own community.
In this thoroughly revised and expanded edition of a Chelsea Green classic, authors Henderson and Van En provide new insight into making CSA not only a viable economic model, but the right choice for food lovers and farmers alike. Thinking and buying local is quickly moving from a novel idea to a mainstream activity. The groundbreaking first edition helped spark a movement and, with this revised edition, Sharing the Harvest is poised to lead the way toward a revitalized agriculture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

csa info
Had lots of information if you are a group trying to start a CSA.We are farmers and need more of the nuts and bolts of organization.Not quite as helpful on this topic, but I did get a few bits of valuable information.

A MUST-have for CSA farmer wannabes
Comprehensive look at the ins and outs of CSA farming, including pitfalls to avoid.Really, a must have resource for those interested in CSA farming.

Keeping a conscious connection to the land and your food
I've been a member of a CSA for the past several years and read this book because I wanted to become a more active participant in the movement. No, this book is not an operations manual on how to run a farm and distribute shares. I'd classify it more as an inspiration manual with examples and case studies of how other CSA formed (and failed), obtained financing and land, found shareholders and labor, all for the purposes of giving people an alternative to being dependent on big agribusiness and live a more sustainable lifestyle.

In the true spirit of a co-op, this book provides an introductory education to CSA newbies on the history of food co-ops, community-building and food systems. For those looking for more hands-on or operations-oriented guides to CSA farming, I'd encourage you to review the rather exhaustive reference section in this book and contact someone near you. For me, I found this book perfect for gaining a comprehensive understanding of CSAs overall, which is helping me increase me evolve from passive shareholder into a more active, participatory role.

Heavy on philosophy, light on practicality
If you're new to market gardening and looking for solid info on how to run a CSA, this is *not* the book for you. For example, the chapter on harvesting and processing is only 2 1/2 pages long and boils down to "it can't be explained in a book, you need hands on experience". The majority of the book is self-congratulatory prose about how CSAs are saving the world. I support the CSA concept, but found this book a big disappointment. There are a few useful charts for determining share size and how much to grow, they are the only thing that prevents me from giving this book zero stars.

A Solution to a Problem!!! - This book made me optimistic.
This book describes many problems of the current food production & distribution system.More importantly, it provides a solution using Community Supported Agriculture. The book outlines the steps necessary toset up a CSA, discusses options and issues for each step, and includesexamples from CSAs all over the country.Many references and a resourcelist guide readers to other sources of information in a variety of media.I am a CSA consumer, not a farmer or an organizer;I enjoyed the book andam much more optimistic about the power groups of individuals have tochange the system ... Read more

Product Description
This book presents a tapestry of perspectives on food and the interplay of health, cultural ecology, and environment, which are the fabric and foundation of all sustainable living It offers personal stories, documented information, traditional understandings, and speculations on future directions. Each contribution calls on us to reclaim our human heritage of "caring for our home fires" -- a metaphor that can inspire the revitalisation of our connections to the earth, all living things, and each other. The writers examine the underlying ecology of sustainable living rooted in the historical traditions, environmental practices, and a sense of place of peoples of the Southwest; and they describe the impact that disruption of this way of life continues to have on health, well-being, communal identity. Drawing on an indigenous paradigm of "healthy environment, healthy culture, healthy people," this book explores possibilities of applying the principles of sustainable living in both traditional and non-traditional communities. ... Read more

Product Description
Providing the theoretical and conceptual framework for this continually evolving field, Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems, Second Edition explores environmental factors and complexities affecting agricultural crops and animals. Completely revised, updated, and reworked, the second edition contains new data, new readings, new issues and case studies, and new options. It includes two completely new chapters, one on the role of livestock animals in agroecosystems and one on the cultural and community aspects of sustainable food systems.

The author clearly delineates the importance of using an ecosystem framework for determining if a particular agricultural practice, input, or management decision contributes or detracts from sustainability. He explains how the framework provides the ecological basis for the functioning of the chosen management strategy over the long-term. He also examines system level interactions, stressing the need for understanding the emergent qualities of populations, communities, and ecosystems and their roles in sustainable agriculture. Using examples of farming systems in a broad array of ecological conditions, the book demonstrates how to use an ecosystem approach to design and manage agroecosystems for sustainability. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

This Book Could Save You a Bundle on Prescription Sleep Medication
I agree with the "No Doz" reviewer.Agroecology need charismatic promotion, not a plow-speed lecture on soil chemistry.This book, likes its author, should be put to pasture.

EASY TO READ: and
so most text books are really dificult to fallow. NOT THIS ONE. it's easy to read the chapters, at about 10 pages of easy to to read print with a high degree of readability. This book is about CONCEPTS. it's just that simple not real indepth. i think the first comment should drop out of college because if he can't read this book, he just wont make it in the real world.

This book is taking concepts about our enviroment and using them in our agricultural production. however he spends alot of time talking about mexico, which has some huge enviromental hinderances. This book isn't indepth, not technical it's just an "idealistic" way of production.

The class i had the book in was about the ecology of agriculture with an emphasis on recognizing sustanible systems.

BEST BOOK ON AGROECOLOGY
I highly recommend the Book Agroecology by Steve Gliessman. It reflectsindepth knowledge of agricultural issues of today food production systems.Those of us interested in challenging thoughts and ideas to achievesustainability must look at the contributions of this book. Some chaptersdemand basic knowledge of Ecology while other chapters demand higher levelof ecology and Biology. The book provides examples from different parts ofthe world (tropical and temperate zones) so that it should be very usefulto agronomists, and agroecologists from countries other than the US. Asan agroecologist I highly recommend this book. I find it very useful toteach Agroecology and Ecology, in both agricultural schools and Biologystudents.

Take No-Doz if you're going to read this book!
My gosh, I've never fallen asleep faster! I pity all of you students who are required to read this pathetic work of literature.While Mr. Gliessman definitely knows his agroecology, he has difficulties conveying his thoughts to the reader. Also, you may be in a bit of trouble if you don'thave a Ph.D in this field as the book takes off with a very complexvocabulary and may as well be Morse code: you can figure out what he'strying to say with the help of numerous other reference books.Onesuggestion to those students needing to buy this book for a class: DROPOUT! ... Read more

Product Description
Agricultural ecology, or agroecology, deals in general with the structure and function of agroecosystems at different levels of resolution. In this text/reference, the authors describe in terms of agroecology the tropical environments of sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin and Central America, focusing on production and management systems unique to each region. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best book on the subject
The book by Juo and Franzluebbers is the best book ever written on the subject of tropical soils and their management for sustainable agriculture. Authors discused systematically the properties of the major tropical soils, their linkage with agroecosystems and management options based on current knowledge. The book is very informative, easy to read, well illustrated and contains useful tables. It is highly recommended as introductory textbook for students in tropical soils and also for agricultural and environmental workers interested in natural resource management for agricultural production in the tropics. ... Read more

Product Description
This book on urban design extends and develops the widely accepted 'compact city' solution. It provides a design proposal for a new kind of sustainable urban landscape: Urban Agriculture. By growing food within an urban rather than exclusively rural environment, urban agriculture would reduce the need for industrialized production, packaging and transportation of foodstuffs to the city dwelling consumers. The revolutionary and innovative concepts put forth in this book have potential to shape the future of our cities quality of life within them.

Urban design is shown in practice through international case studies and the arguments presented are supported by quantified economic, environmental and social justifications.

* Is THE first book on urban agriculture for architects, landscape architects and urban designers
* Presents concepts with the potential to have an immense impact on the future shape of cities
* Includes over 200 images providing readers a clear visual idea of this pioneering subject ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Somewhat specific to geography but filled with good information
I bought this to help understand and choose a site for my thesis in NYC, it came in handy. The price hurt a bit, esp for a grad student ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A must for development work
This book is full of wisdom learned on the ground from campesinos, the poor who work their land. It shows the wisdom of an approach that recognizes and values and encourages the wisdom and work of the poor. This truly promotes a participatory approach to sustainable agriculture. From my vantage point in western Honduras I hope that more groups will find a way to make the vision of Campesino a Campesino real - not only in its practices and its methodology, but also in supporting policy changes that empower the poor rural farmers and their families.
Thanks to the author and to the campesinos who shared their experiences in this book.
Everyone who into agricutlural development work among the poor should read this book (together with "Tow Ears of Corn" and "The Human Farm")

I'm in LOVE with the authors of this book!
This book took me on a deep journey through the indigenous peasant world of Campesino a Campesino, a fascinating movement working for food sovereignty and environmental sustainability. I had no idea of its existence or of the dramatic struggles of its protagonists. On one hand, it is told through the eyes of the peasants themselves as they brave repressive regimes, war, globalization and poverty. On the other, the author weaves in his own observations and thoughtful analysis of how and why these events occur. It is powerfully and passionately written, without losing any of its sharp analytical edge. I learned a lot from this book, and will use it in my teaching and simply to share in the wisdom of the peasants. ... Read more

Product Description
The major aim of "Microbes in Sustainable Agriculture" is to provide unique collection of data and a holistic view of the subject while presenting more current ideas in the field where significant advances have been made. Collectively, this book provides recent coverage of the role of microbes in sustainability of agronomic practices and thus is likely to be of tremendous value to the students, scientists, teachers of microbiology, biotechnology, environmental biology, agronomy, plant physiology and plant protection, who are interested in this area. Each chapter in this book has been contributed by a qualified team of teachers/scientists. In this context, the current state of knowledge in a specialised field is reviewed without compromising the basic conceptual frame work presented in this book. A concerted effort has been made by editors/authors to bring in quality presentation. This book thus addresses a lot of common queries and of course some odd ones that bring an interesting approach to problems solving in agricultural practices with optimum application of diverse microbes.This book presents readers with stimulation to forge thought in a non-conventional way to understand complex issues as it addresses many problems previously ignored. This book serves as an important source because of its unique compilation of data and text on the application and importance of microbes in crop productivity to achieve global food security. ... Read more

Product Description
*Exposes the massive hidden health and environmental costs of rampant pesticide use
*Presents an array of cheaper, safer alternatives to pesticides used by millions of farmers around the world
*Written by leading international agricultural and biological scientists supported by The Global Integrated Pest Management Facility of the FAO

Since the 1960s the world’s population has more than doubled and agricultural production per person has increased by a third, largely because of widespread pesticide use. Yet this growth in production has masked enormous hidden costs -- massive ecological damage and high incidences of farmer poisoning and chronic health effects.
Yet in recent years millions of farmers in communities around the world have been identifying harmful pesticides and developing cheaper and safer alternatives. "The Pesticide Detox" explores the potential for the phasing-out of hazardous pesticides and the phasing-in of cost-effective alternatives already available on the market. This book makes clear that it is time to start the pesticide detox and to move towards a more sustainable agriculture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The new pesticide
Over the past 40 years, world population, the use of modernized farming methods, and farming production have gone up. Modernized farming uses hazardous pesticides. But does it have to? Where are pesticides used? Are there alternatives? And what can be done to replace pesticides with alternative controls?

More than 800 different pesticides are regularly used throughout the world. They're used to protect crop yields from diseases and pests. Just under 4/5 of all pesticides are used outside the United States. The developing countries are the part of the world where companies plan to hugely increase pesticide sales and use.

But pesticides are damaging to the environment. They're not just hazardous to people who make and use them. Scientists keep on studying the effects of pesticides on animals, birds, bugs, other green things, people, places and water. But the chain of cause and effect isn't always easy to prove, show and tell. That's particularly the case when the audience is people making money from pesticide sales and use!

Editor Jules Pretty says alternatives can replace pesticides. Alternatives can be based on bacteria, certain nematodes, fungi or viruses. They can include parasitoids and predators. When tested with 80 crop combinations, alternatives came up with workable results. Crop yields went up acceptably, with cut-back pesticide use and with alternatives.

Pretty says that what's needed are political will, consumer awareness, and market response. But what can change national policies, international conventions, and programs? Pretty says to start on the level of appropriate taxing, education and environmental action. Specifically, for example, taking away subsidies and putting in effect high taxes would make pesticides less affordable. The list of registered pesticides could be reviewed. The most toxic pesticides could be taken off. Less hazardous alternatives could be added. Also, cooperative extension schools could be set up in the field. Agricultural colleges could have their courseload updated to cover alternatives as well as they're already covering pesticides! All three steps would make alternatives better known. Maximum residue limits could be set, checked and enforced. That would cut down the use of pesticides and increase the use of alternatives.

THE PESTICIDE DETOX is a well-organized and -written book. The editor and the contributing writers include helpful charts, examples, graphs and illustrations. There's a good index and set of references. The subject is now. It's dealt with in such a way that the problems are clear. And there are actually workable solutions! What more could a girl ask? ... Read more

Product Description
Aquaculture - the farming of fish and aquatic plants - has become the world's fastest-growing food production sector, even as the amount of wild fish caught in our seas and freshwaters declines. From fish foods and pharmaceuticals to management of entire aquatic ecosystems, acquaculture is truly changing the face of the waters. Increase growth, however, brings increased risk, and aquaculture now lies at a crossroads. One direction points toward the giant strides in productivity, industry concentration, and product diversification. Another direction points toward the dangers of environmental degradation and the marginalization of small fish farmers. Yet another direction invites aquaculture to champion the poor and provide vital environmental services to stressed aquatic environments. Changing the Face of the Waters offers a cutting-edge analysis of the critical challenges facing aquaculture, balancing aquaculture's role in economic growth with the need for sound management of natural resources. The book also provides guidance on sustainable aquaculture by evaluating alternative development pathways, placing particular emphasis on the application of lessons from Asia to Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Aimed at policy makers, planners, and scientists, this book provides a comprehensive frame of reference for orienting ideas and initiatives in this dynamic industry. ... Read more

Product Description
The failure to start a new round of global trade negotiations at Seattle in December 1999 and the hostility of protesters to the trade liberalization process and growing global economic and social disparities was a wake-up call for the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The ambitious goal of this book is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of liberalized world trade, in particular in the agricultural sector, and to investigate to which extent the current WTO agreements provide the necessary fail-safe devices to react to trade-related negative impacts on sustainability, environmental protection and food security. The background and interrelationship between the WTO, the tenets of sustainable development and the unique features of the agriculture and forestry sectors are explored, and conclusions regarding the deficits of the world trade system and its conflicts with basic societal goals - such as sustainability - are drawn. Agriculture and forestry have a particular affinity with what the authors call "strong sustainability" and are to be one of the major agenda items in forthcoming WTO negotiations.The book proposes that sustainable agricultural production techniques such as integrated and organic farming provide a series of related services to community and environment which could be severely prejudiced by wholesale trade liberalization and the imposition of the large-scale production methods of the mega-trade giants of the USA and Europe. And yet the concept of sustainability is referred to only tangentially in the existing WTO agenda. "The WTO, Agriculture and Sustainable Development" argues that, without a formal recognition of this failing, the premise that free trade is inherently advantageous for all countries is a falsehood. Further, unfettered liberalization is unsustainable and a social and environmental multilateral framework must be agreed to reinterpret or adapt a host of WTO regulations that are at odds with sustainable development. The core problem is that, under the current system, import duties can only be differentiated by direct goods and services and not by their means of production - sustainable or otherwise.Therefore, a range of environmental policy measures in the agricultural sector, such as the consideration of product life-cycles, the internalization of external costs and a coupling of trade liberalization with ecological obligations are proposed by the authors. In addition, they argue that unsustainable economic short-termism must be curbed and the use of the stick of trade sanctions and the carrot of financial benefits for good environmental performance be permitted to promote sustainable agricultural practices. This book contributes greatly in addressing the lack of basic theoretical arguments at the intersection between trade and sustainable development - a failing that has already been bemoaned by trade policy-makers. It should be of interest to all those involved or interested in the WTO negotiations, whether from multilateral organizations, governments, industry or civil society. ... Read more

Product Description
The failure to start a new round of global trade negotiations at Seattle in December 1999 and the hostility of protesters to the trade liberalization process and growing global economic and social disparities was a wake-up call for the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The ambitious goal of this book is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of liberalized world trade, in particular in the agricultural sector, and to investigate to which extent the current WTO agreements provide the necessary fail-safe devices to react to trade-related negative impacts on sustainability, environmental protection and food security. The background and interrelationship between the WTO, the tenets of sustainable development and the unique features of the agriculture and forestry sectors are explored, and conclusions regarding the deficits of the world trade system and its conflicts with basic societal goals - such as sustainability - are drawn. Agriculture and forestry have a particular affinity with what the authors call "strong sustainability" and are to be one of the major agenda items in forthcoming WTO negotiations.The book proposes that sustainable agricultural production techniques such as integrated and organic farming provide a series of related services to community and environment which could be severely prejudiced by wholesale trade liberalization and the imposition of the large-scale production methods of the mega-trade giants of the USA and Europe. And yet the concept of sustainability is referred to only tangentially in the existing WTO agenda. "The WTO, Agriculture and Sustainable Development" argues that, without a formal recognition of this failing, the premise that free trade is inherently advantageous for all countries is a falsehood. Further, unfettered liberalization is unsustainable and a social and environmental multilateral framework must be agreed to reinterpret or adapt a host of WTO regulations that are at odds with sustainable development. The core problem is that, under the current system, import duties can only be differentiated by direct goods and services and not by their means of production - sustainable or otherwise.Therefore, a range of environmental policy measures in the agricultural sector, such as the consideration of product life-cycles, the internalization of external costs and a coupling of trade liberalization with ecological obligations are proposed by the authors. In addition, they argue that unsustainable economic short-termism must be curbed and the use of the stick of trade sanctions and the carrot of financial benefits for good environmental performance be permitted to promote sustainable agricultural practices. This book contributes greatly in addressing the lack of basic theoretical arguments at the intersection between trade and sustainable development - a failing that has already been bemoaned by trade policy-makers. It should be of interest to all those involved or interested in the WTO negotiations, whether from multilateral organizations, governments, industry or civil society. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Full of good information
Some parts are a little dry, but there are some great sections - the relationship of weeds to crop production, for example, was fascinating and enlightening.The book has strong points about approaches to agriculture and the mistakes of conventional ag esp for poorsustenance farmers, but manages to avoid a sense of bias in reporting data.

Great Book!
I am currently taking a class with M. Altieri and impressed with his writings and passion for the subject. ... Read more

Product Description

This comprehensive introduction to the emerging discipline of sustainable horticulture provides readers with the foundations of horticultural science that underlie all forms of horticulture from conventional through sustainable to organic. The book leads readers through practices and production, and provides the necessary information to support a more sustainable and environmentally friendly horticulture. The volume explains moving to sustainability, provides an introduction to horticultural science and horticultural practices including plant propagation, crop breeding, biotechnology, energy sustainability and sustaining soil, water and environment, home horticulture basics, integrated pest management and an introduction to horticultural crops. For horticultural professionals, policy makers, consumers and future farmers.

Product Description

As with other areas of human industry, it has been assumed that technological progress would improve all aspects of agriculture. Technology would increase both efficiency and yield, or so we thought. The directions taken by technology may have worked for a while, but the same technologies that give us an advantage also create disadvantages. It's now a common story in rural America: pesticides, fertilizers, "big iron" combines, and other costly advancements may increase speed but also reduce efficiency, while farmers endure debt, dangerous working conditions, and long hours to pay for the technology. Land, livelihood, and lives are lost in an effort to keep up and break even. There is more to this story that affects both the food we eat and our provisions for the future. Too many Americans eat the food on their plates with little thought to its origin and in blind faith that government regulations will protect them from danger. While many Americans might have grown up in farming families, there are fewer family-owned farms with each passing generation. Americans are becoming disconnected from understanding the sources and content of their food. The farmers interviewed in From the Farm to the Table can help reestablish that connection. Gary Holthaus illuminates the state of American agriculture today, particularly the impact of globalization, through the stories of farmers who balance traditional practices with innovative methods to meet market demands. Holthaus demonstrates how the vitality of America's communities is bound to the successes and failures of its farmers. In From the Farm to the Table, farmers explain how their lives and communities have changed as they work to create healthy soil, healthy animals, and healthy food in a context of often inappropriate federal policy, growing competition from abroad, public misconceptions regarding government subsidies, the dangers of environmental damage and genetically modified crops, and the myths of modern economics. Rather than predicting doom and despair for small American growers, Holthaus shows their hope and the practical solutions they utilize. As these farmers tell their stories, "organic" and "sustainable" farming become real and meaningful. As they share their work and their lives, they reveal how those concepts affect the food we eat and the land on which it's grown, and how vital farming is to the American economy.

Product Description

With all of the environmental and social problems confronting our food systems today, it is apparent that none of the strategies we have relied on in the past―higher-yielding varieties, increased irrigation, inorganic fertilizers, pest damage reduction―can be counted on to come to the rescue. In fact, these solutions are now part of the problem. It is becoming quite clear that the only way to keep the food crisis from escalating is to promote the conversion processes that will move agriculture to sustainability.

Under the editorial guidance of agroecology experts Martha Rosemeyer and the internationally renowned Dr. Stephen R. Gliessman, The Conversion to Sustainable Agriculture: Principles, Processes, and Practices establishes a framework for how this conversion can be accomplished and presents case studies from around the world that illustrate how the process is already underway. The book provides a four-stage transition process for achieving sustainability and an in-depth analysis of the global efforts to make farms more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

An international team of chapter contributors explores ways to lessen dependency on fossil fuels and pesticides, and examines each step in the conversion process. They also describe the process of monitoring change toward sustainable agriculture while integrating social and economic analysis within scientific practices. Serving as both a core textbook for students and a comprehensive reference for agricultural practitioners, this volume is a valuable resource for the change that is needed in our food system now and in the future.

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Product Description
What defines a sustainable food system? How can it be more inclusive? How do local and global scales interact and how does power flow within food systems? How to encourage an interdisciplinary approach to realizing sustainable food systems? And how to activate change? These questions are considered by EU and North American academics and practitioners in this book. Using a wide range of case studies, it provides a critical overview, showing how and where theory and practice can converge to produce more sustainable food systems. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (23)

the tasks and fruits and nature of each moon
Terra Brockman reveals the farmer's moons: the tasks and fruits and nature of each month. This is a great book for thosewho want to start eating seasonally, but don't know what's in season.Yet there is also plenty of inspiration for a lifelong home gardener like myself. This book is a revelation to the hard work it takes to bring fresh vegetables to the table, and I am very grateful to farmers like Henry who do so in a sustainable way (i.e. raising animals AND growing crops to be in a manure/fertilizer balance). It is also sobering to realize that if it takes this much work to provide the quality and variety that the small farm provides, then our food system is in big trouble! Not many souls would be willing to work this hard for such a meager reward. They must have a love of the work and a desire to do the right thing, so I hope that this book will spur people to support their local organic farmers.
But this book would be a bore if that were all it was about.No, it is peppered with simple recipes, and Terra manages to surprise and delight with warm stories of family and garden lore, even stepping aside to allow Henry's daughter to describe a day of weeding with her brothers.I've been gardening for decades, yet I never knew what Terra told me about spring ramps, or that there was no red rose before 1950, or how to grow shiitake mushrooms on a freshly cut oak log. The variety of vegetables that Henry grows (hundreds of varieties) made me green with envy, as it is difficult to find an heirloom tomato or a unique varietal at the farmer's markets I attend here in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.I can't stress it enough - support your local organic farmers!You will be rewarded, and someone from the future will thank you.

A standout
There are always farming and vegetable gardening books on my headboard. I inhale them.While I rarely abandon one unfinished, there are definite stand outs in the dozens of histories, personal or family stories and farming politics that i have read. This book shot right to the top, with its evocative prose bringing the rhythms and hard work of the farming life into a clear and beautiful picture.I admit to favoring it partly because the authors ethics are right in line with mine.I loved the historical and literary references and found a wealth of information, ideas and inspiration to add to my 30 years of food growing.

the music of the farm
Terra Brockman's book sings like a beautiful musical instrument. And with each re-reading, the depth of the music, becomes more apparent. Pour a glass of wine, turn your iPod off and savor this beautiful book. Now on my third time through, I am reading a paragraph at a time, pausing, reflecting, sometimes laughing and sometimes wiping a tear away. In an age when our heroes fall from grace, we find a new hero in Henry and in his farm and in the cast of characters that work with him. Henry makes me want to work hard, be productive, bring value to others. For anyone seriously interested in farming or organic gardening this is a text book. I have pages of notes about different herbs, fruits and vegetables and can hardly wait until the seed catalogs arrive in the winter, little did I ever imagine until I read this book that they could be erotic. That alone should entice you to read Terra's book! Occasionally, I run across a book that is meaningful, funny, informative and profound. I hope I can inspire just one person who might be reading reviews to give this book a try. Enjoy the music! And thanks Terra, you have touched a heart.

If you ever contemplated
This book gave me exactly what I wanted to know: what is the year round work involved on an organic and sustainable farm. In five words: focused, exhausting and extremely rewarding. I learned enough "how to's" should I ever garden or want to grow my own food.For certain, I can't wait for my local farmer's market to open. It is beautifully written with moving personal stories and stunning descriptions. I recommend it highly.

Don't go the way ofBuggy-Makers
I enjoy listening to the local director of the McLean County Historical Museum talk about the local economic and business history of our area. Once, while entertaining about 35 consulates' general from Chicago our organization asked him to speak about local economic history. It was fascinating and in his speech as I recall, all commerce was local. At the turn of century and before that time, many of the things we enjoyed in a community were often manufactured locally or did not come from too far away. And when a product did come from say, New York City or beyond, it was looked upon as very special and indeed sometimes exotic.The farther away it came, the greater it's mysticism and allure.

It is interesting to note that almost every town at one time had a manufacturer of automobiles. It was usually the entrepreneurial buggy-maker in town who simply attached an electric motor to their buggies and immediately he was in the car manufacturing business. However, another entrepreneur with even bigger plans a couple states over soon commoditized the manufacture of vehicles and in short order we all waited for delivery of our automobiles from Detroit, certainly a place with less allure than New York City, but far away nonetheless.
So it goes with many other things, and there are those who bemoan this fact. From labor unions to manufacturers, from the political right to the left, and the common citizen, we ask ourselves, why does everything come from so far away? China, India, Indonesia, Chile, Russia, all seem to have cornered our marketplace with their products. Why? There are a number of reasons why, but I am neither the expert nor there is enough room in this review to discuss it. But manufactured products are not the only thing that arrives from off-shore.
So where does our food come from?I know some people who think their food comes from a box. And indeed, in their case it may very well be true. The food issue is wrought with all types of political ideas, concepts of health, carbon fuel, security, and ultimately taste. The idea of local food or regional food has been more and more popular in recent days, and it has been raising interest for some time in the United States.According to the Wikipedia definition, local food or the local food movement is a "collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies - one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular place"
Recently a group of people have been interested in creating a local food processing center in our area. While working with them to determine thebest way to apply for a grant to achieve this endeavor, I learned that one of them , Terra Brockman was an author of a recent book, The Seasons on Henry's Farm - A year of Food and Life on a Sustainable Farm.This book, which is the subject of this review is a look at what life is like for a farmer who chosen a different path in his life to achieve an American Dream unlike any that is often conjured in that phrase. Henry's American Dream is one where he gets to spend time with the earth, plants,sun, wind, microbes, dogs, chickens, varmints, and family. It is a life many might consider a nightmare rather than a dream. This dream provides no time for hanging out at the pub, shopping at the mall, eating at Olive Garden, video games, or golf. Instead, life on Henry's Farm,

and indeed Henry's dream is a fulfilling life which seems to consume is every minute of every day the entire year with thoughts about the farm and much hard labor according to the author who happens also to be Henry's sister.
So what is life like on Henry's Farm? Brockman divides her book into weeks and right away we are entertianed by an ample description of what it takes to plant garlic. Rather than start in the first week of Januarywith the descriptions of life, Brockman starts us appropriately enough in the week that represents the last week of the season for the Brockman family, yet the first step towards prosperity in the next year. I thought it was a great place to start. As we amble through the weeks, we come to learn more about Henry, his family, and the obvious respect that Henry and his family have for the earth, the food we eat and how it gets to the table. The book is heavy on the multitude of varieties that Henry plants on his farm and it is frustrating to think unless you buy from Henry your are getting short-changed at the local market. Even garlic come in a wide variety of tastes, and nuances, that due to the consumption of chopped garlic in a bottle, garlic powder, or spray, we have probably lost the ability to differentiate.
The Season's on Henry's Farm is an easy read and the authors descriptions of all aspects of life on the farm brings the reader to appreciate the hard work that it takes to manage such a variety of activities. Like many of us our ancestors were farmers more like the type that Henry represents; growing food for the table, their own table, and anything left over going to the neighbors or sold or traded to other folks nearby. Today, most farmers we see today are growing corn and beans to be purchased by anonymous corporations, companies, and foreign governments for processing into many other substances. Henry represents the farmer we more likely read aboutas children: the type with chickens, dogs, sheep, a couple cows, maybe even a horse.
The book requires us to reflect. Is Henry's life on the farm a romantic notion that is available to a select fewfarmers and gives us capitalistic carbon consuming urbanites an opportunity to feel better by buying his product.Is Brockman's book painting a picture of a life that itself is unsustainable?As one reads the authors words and descriptions of everything from duck sex to the temperature and consistency of the soil, to the ongoing relentless nature of the work involved to maintain a farm like this, one senses that sustainable or not, romantic or not, Henry and his family probably don't think about it. In fact, I believe there is a sense of zen-like "being" in Henry's family about what they do. They feel that this is what they need to do, that it is a way for their family to be together and a way to bring about happiness all the while respecting the earth and its resources.
Brockman's book is a current nominee for a 2010 James Beard Foundation Award for writing. The James Beard Foundation named for the original American "foodie", James Beard, and honors everyone from writers to chefs and restaurants each year. Brockman will find out if she is the recipient of this very important award On May 2 of this year.This is certainly a high honor and is important as well. The book illustrates what a local economy looks like. It shows how economic developmentcan occur even in the least likely places. It provides us a glimpse into another world, one where food production is done in a

very earnest, honest and nurturing way. This honesty translates easily into words on a page and finds your way into your emotions, your heart and ultimately to your table.
If you read this book, you will not only appreciate life on the farm, but it will perhaps challenge your thinking about how and what you consume. Only you can decide if this is important for you and your family, but be rest assured that people like Henry and others are concerned about what you consume and it comes alive in a confident and reassuring way in this book.Consuming local food, if not for health is a good for the local economy. Let's do it, so our food doesn't go the way of the local buggy-maker.

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