Publishers Weekly
05/20/2024
In this vibrant report, journalist Grayson (Unlatched) profiles farmers across the U.S. who are developing sustainable approaches to agriculture. Lamenting that the average price of farmland doubled between 2000 and 2020, Grayson explores how some farmers are doing more with less, describing how spouses Carys Wilkins and Benji Nagel maximize the productivity of their one-acre Oregon farm by planting crops close together and rotating them seasonally so that all plots are always in use. The profiled farmers value community as much as sustainability. For instance, Bonita Clemens founded a South Carolina program that teaches Black women how to grow crops for “themselves and their communities,” aiming to build solidarity among participants while alleviating the dearth of healthy foods available in the state’s Black neighborhoods. Grayson provides colorful accounts of the farmers’ life stories, recounting how Alexandra Rosenberg-Rigutto dropped out of high school and struggled with drug addiction before becoming the director of a northern Michigan farm that teaches Jewish children how to grow produce, and how Natalie Bogwalker spent five years “in a hand-built dwelling, cooking roadkill over a stick-sparked fire, cloaked in buckskin” before starting a North Carolina permaculture school. Unfortunately, the biographical background can crowd out the often brief descriptions of what makes the farmers’ techniques notable and environmentally friendly. Still, it’s a spirited look at the lives of small, eco-conscious farmers. (July)
JM FORTIER
"A Call to Farms is a pivotal exploration into the heart of the new agrarian lifestyle, a topic close to my own journey. Grayson captures the essence of what it means to be a modern, small-scale farmer, intertwining the challenges and triumphs faced by those committed to nurturing the land. Her eloquent narrative not only highlights the importance of sustainable practices but also celebrates the joy and satisfaction found in this crucial work. This book is an essential read for anyone passionate about the earth, its caretakers, and the sustainable-food movement."
CHRIS SMAJE
"This is a wonderful book, perhaps a milestone in the gathering movement for a sane, agroecological food system. Each chapter is its own little jewel, glinting with the joy and energy of people finding connection among land, food, and community. Bittersweet jewels they are, though, because Jennifer Grayson knows the painful histories that have sundered these connections and still are shaping our world. That she can face this squarely while conveying such hope is a testament to her skills as a writer and also to the power of the new stories that the farmers whom she describes are writing."
DAVID R. MONTGOMERY
"Food, farming, and a purposeful life all come together in this inspiring tour that visits America’s new generation of regenerative pioneers."
MARION NESTLE
"In this deeply inspiring book, Jennifer Grayson examines the motives, practices, problems, and successes of a diverse collection of young, small-scale farmers growing food sustainably and achieving enormous satisfaction and joy in the process. The farmers provide abundant reasons for hope in the future of food that’s healthier for producers, people, and the planet. If you’re looking for hope, here it is."
PAUL HAWKEN
"A Call to Farms is a transformative act of journalism. An eloquent page-turner, it erases shopworn stereotypes of farms and farmers, gracefully leading into a boots-on, magical culture crucial to the well-being of society, the land, and our future."
MICHELLE PERRO
"A Call to Farms makes the case for the urgent necessity to return to organic, regenerative agriculture, as it was prior to the introduction of GMOs and chemical inputs. As Jennifer Grayson persuasively and authentically explains, as we restore the terrain, we will restore our own health."
