| If you’re interested in where our
food comes from, read Harvest, an intimate portrait
of a small Vermont
farm. Jennifer Megyesi and Kyle Jones put everything on the line
— their
ideals alongside their savings — to start Fat Rooster Farm.
By tapping
into the interest in organic goods, the couple hope to succeed where
other
farmers have failed. The number of American farms is dropping every
day,
yet we are still fascinated by the idea of the farmer checking his
crops,
the sheep out at pasture, cows trailed by their calves.
Harvest gives us insight into
the life of a farm run on a small scale, by family, with support from
the
community. It’s about the bucolic scenes of maple syrup
gathering and a
young boy trailing his parents, helping with chores. But it’s
also about
the day-to-day reality of family life: arguments over work, money, and
child-rearing, as well as disputes over who is going to take produce to
market or how many animals to keep. Life and death are in stark relief
here, but ultimately
Harvest is about relationships:
the relationship between husband and wife, parent and child, man and
land.
It’s a book that will surprise and ultimately captivate you.
|
Harvest
A Year in the Life
of an Organic Farm
by Nicola Smith
The Lyons Press, 2004.
Order
a copy
Reviewed
in The Book Stall
|
