Around this time of year, I review my end-of-summer reading, and what my fall book list might look like.
From books published decades ago and still key to understanding our current situation, to reads that span the importance of food density and seed, to the impact of quality food on mental health, these suggestions cover a lot of turf!
There are two classics on agriculture that should be high on your reading list, if you have not yet had a chance to dig into them. If you have — re-reading is also recommended.
The first is The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry. First published by Sierra Club Books in 1977, I read this book for the first time almost 50 years ago. My hardcover copy has shared a treasured spot of my bookshelf ever since. The prescience of this tome is etched into every paragraph. For good reason Wendell Berry has been called the prophet of rural America. He puts the “culture” alongside “agri” and reminds the reader on every page how the destructiveness of corporate power is laying waste to our survival.
Wendell Berry reflects in unique ways.
Take this paragraph from page 41: “And this community-killing agriculture, with its monomania of bigness, is not primarily the work of farmers, though it has burgeoned on their weaknesses. It is the work of the institutions of agriculture: the university experts, the bureaucrats, and the “agri-businessmen,” who have promoted so-called efficiency at the expense of community (and of real efficiency) and quantity at the expense of quality.”
Next on my agri-classics list is The Violence of the Green Revolution: Third World Agriculture, Ecology and Politics by Vandana Shiva. In this volume Shiva, who has authored several other books since this one was originally published in 1991, chronicles the devastating impact of the first Green Revolution. Understanding the impact of the Green Revolution of the 1960s on India’s environment, genetic diversity, and soil fertility, is key to understanding the current push for the use of technologies and “digitization” of agricultural practices. A recent rabble column also underscored some of these issues. While you are reviewing this valuable resource you might also want to check-out Dr. Vandana Shiva’s more recent books.
These two books set the stage for the suggestions below.
Next up on my list: Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet by George Monbiot. Monbiot is a UK-based investigative journalist and writer, as well as an environmental activist. With more than a dozen non-fiction books to his credit, Regenesis, published in 2022 is the first directly related to agriculture. On this Wikipedia page is also a link to a brief interview done in 2014 with the late Canadian maritimer, Silver Donald Cameron, for a series called The Green Interview. It is well-worth the viewing as well.
Here is a brief promo text: “In Regenesis, Monbiot seeks to educate and inspire others on implementing a reformed approach to farming. Monbiot takes readers through the intricate world beneath eaters’ feet and urges for the revitalization of the soil. His call for change is not a simple swap of practices, but rather a radical revolution in the way people grow food.”
Next up: The Seed Detective: Uncovering the Secret Histories of Remarkable Vegetables by Adam Alexander. From carrots, corn and beans, to peas, garlic and peppers, Alexander explores how modern-day vegetables came to be in. Similar to books that have traced the path of sugar and coffee, Alexander explores the origins of common vegetables, and along the way explains how we have manipulated and changed seed, and why it is important to save our heritage seeds.
The Seed Detective is history on a plate: “His journey through the past helps readers understand the difference between those seeds saved and cultivated for centuries and the ones that dominate food production now. In his hunt for the future, he strives to protect the extinction of the seeds passed down from generation after generation.”
As well, for audio information, look for the podcast Seeds: Memories Locked in Nature’s Time Capsules part of the Stories Worth Telling Forever series. As well, this rabble column explores Seeds of Diversity, a Canadian non-profit working to save seed in this country.
It is now commonly known that agricultural practices are contributing to climate change. Various columns have been published, such as this one, on the issue and on mitigation. Grass-Fed Beef for a Post-Pandemic World: How Regenerative Grazing Can Restore Soils and Stabilize the Climate by Ridge Shinn and Lynne Pledger is an important read. Published in 2022, it is among the volumes that provide alternatives to reduce carbon emissions from cattle production.
The promo on the book notes: “This book introduces readers to the concept of regenerative grazing and its many benefits for public, planetary, and animal health. The authors argue that a more localized, holistic style of meat production is more urgently needed than ever before.”
And finally – the impact of food on the brain – and our mental health. In Eat and Flourish: How Food Supports Emotional Well-Being by Mary Beth Albright broaches a topic that might seem intuitive to some of us, but is still considered a new field – that of nutritional psychology. It is evidence-based, so not a fluffy read about food, but more a science-based perspective on mental health and food, and the perils of processed foods.
A good fit for the other books recommended here, I think.
Enjoy your end-of-summer reads.
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