A Farm

It is often said that Americans can be divided into two groups: those who grew up on a farm and those who wished they had. This book will give pleasure--and information--to both. Hundreds of illustrations, rendered with perception, wit, and accuracy offer a heartwarming look at life on a farm in Holland. Full color.

On the farm, workers pick vegetables, collect eggs, and make cheese. At the market the next day, the workers set up their stands and prepare for shoppers to arrive. Amy, the baker at the Busy Bee Café, has a very special meal in mind-and, of course, all the farmers show up at the café to enjoy the results of their hard work. This informative book introduces children to both local and urban greenmarkets and paints a warm picture of a strong, interconnected community.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Globe and Mail • Glamour • TIME • Real Simple • Good Housekeeping • Marie Claire • Town & Country • Bustle "[Joanne] Ramos's debut novel couldn't be more relevant or timely." —O: The Oprah Magazine Life is a lucrative business, as long as you play by the rules. Nestled in New York's Hudson Valley is a luxury retreat boasting every amenity: organic meals, personal fitness trainers, daily massages—and all of it for free. In fact, you're paid big money to stay here—more than you've ever dreamed of. The catch? For nine months, you cannot leave the grounds, your movements are monitored, and you are cut off from your former life while you dedicate yourself to the task of producing the perfect baby. For someone else. Jane, an immigrant from the Philippines, is in desperate search of a better future when she commits to being a "Host" at Golden Oaks—or the Farm, as residents call it. But now pregnant, fragile, consumed with worry for her family, Jane is determined to reconnect with her life outside. Yet she cannot leave the Farm or she will lose the life-changing fee she'll receive on the delivery of her child. Gripping, provocative, heartbreaking, The Farm pushes to the extremes our thinking on motherhood, money, and merit and raises crucial questions about the trade-offs women will make to fortify their futures and the futures of those they love.

*Northeast Organic Farmers Lifetime Achievement Award: Jack Kittredge and Julie Rawson In this heartfelt and unflinching memoir, two activists recount the nearly half century they’ve spent questioning authority while raising a family, building a self-reliant community, starting an organic farm, leading a farming organization, and experiencing the struggles and joys of living a purposeful life. Many Hands Make a Farm traces the journey of organic farming pioneers Julie Rawson and Jack Kittredge from their early years of bright-eyed excitement, through the long slog for economic stability, to the formation of a thriving community and a growing natural farming movement. Along the way, they established relationships with farming leaders across the country during the creation of the National Organic Program. Julie and Jack met while working as community organizers in Boston. After falling in love and starting a family, they decided to use Jack’s irregular earnings as a board game designer to support a move to a rural area where they could grow healthy food and earn their living at home, so they could be present for their four children. What began as a family homestead soon grew into the small, diversified Many Hands Organic Farm. Julie and Jack have intentionally chosen to live their lives differently than the mainstream, prioritizing minimizing energy use, raising food organically, not relying on credit, favoring natural health care, participating in the arts, working creatively, and instilling the values of hard work and responsibility in their children. In a time when society at large was “going along to get along,” Julie and Jack stood out as leaders and iconoclasts. They believe that taking risks and making bold decisions can unlock one’s potential and lead to actions that enrich the spirit, the family, and the community. Many Hands Make a Farm will resonate with fans of original thinkers from Henry David Thoreau and Wendell Berry to Lynn Margulis and Adelle Davis. The book strongly conveys the message of finding roots in a community, respecting the Earth, and combining social justice work with the joys and challenges of raising a family. These themes shine through on every page, making this memoir a must-read for anyone seeking inspiration and guidance on finding meaning in their life. "Told in complementary, alternating narratives between husband and wife, this informative and heartfelt memoir is uplifting from start to finish."—Booklist

Part picture book, part instruction manual, A Farm offers watercolor sketches and side notes to detail the workings and components of a pre-industrialized English family farm.

Pp. 99.

Many friends, colleagues, and research staff members have directly and indirectly contributed to this book. It is impossible to acknowledge the contribution of each. Still, we would like to recognize several persons as well as institutions that have been particularly helpful. Research funds were provided by the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and by the Ford Foundation. John Myers of the Current Research Information System provided us with a computer tape listing current projects. Carolyn Sachs was extremely helpful in coordinating the mail survey of scientists. Christian Ritter, Lisa Slatin, and Bobbie Sparks assisted in coding the data. Ann Stockham developed the index and also organized the data. Janet Baynham, Sue Lewis, and Greg Taylor aided in the voluminous computer programming and statistical analysis. Rosemary Cheek typed most of the manuscript. Marlene Pettit, Michael Claycomb, Deborah Wheeler, and Penny Hogue also assisted in the typing. Janice Taylor aided in the manuscript typing and ran interference on much of the administrative detail.

Brian J. Smith lived as a child on a dairy farm near Ingersoll, Ontario with his family and grandmother in 1966-67. This lifestyle was very different from the suburbs that he was used to. In "My Year on the Farm" he recalls the daily adventures and experiences of living the rural life in that special year. The book is also a tribute to his industrious grandmother, Isabella Wilson, who managed the farm. "My Year on the Farm" explores the roots of his ancestry through his grandmother. Her example has been a great inspiration for Brian.