Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

[poppycat]

Natalie- You go girl!

BTW I read A Country Year as per your recommendation and LOVED it.

 

[mirime]

Get off Kingsolver's back, you Whiners! It was a great book and she very clearly explained that it was necessary to use some non-local things such as coffee, pepper, etc. Can't you just enjoy something or at least ignore if you don't like it???

I really appreciated that she talked about that (the fact that they choose special things that they really wanted that weren't local). There were a few things that irritated me, but then again, there's a few things that irritate me with a few books that I read!

 

[obsessed]

OK so I read the book. I liked it but did feel like it was a bit preachy. I didn't like feeling guilty for buying out of season produce. I think I would like a book with more information as the how to's of self sufficiency. Like what do you really do with a winter squash... and to be honest I have never eaten an eggplant.... So maybe a diary of a gardener would be better for me...

So I will wait for Pat's publication.

 

[curly_kate]

AVM really made me think about what I eat and where it comes from. My only beef was that most of us don't have a whole bunch of land or the luxury of working from home to be able to grow/raise as much as they did. But overall, it did the job of making me think about what I eat, and put more effort into producing what I eat, which really is a pretty big deal.

I'm currently reading the Omnivore's Dilemma, and it has REALLY opened my eyes. I can't say that it really told me anything I didn't already suspect, but it totally drove the point home: the fact that the giant industrial/chemical plants are driving the small farmer out of business, all of the massive restrictions that the government whips up to make it difficult to farm on a small scale, & the industrial organic. I've actually met the guy who owns/runs the Horizon Organic Dairy (had dinner with him - how weird is that!). He is a business man through and through - absolutely no interest in organic, except that he knows it's a profitable industry.

Someone had mentioned a "how-to" book would be more helpful. I'd recommend the Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery. It is a REALLY helpful resource to have!