Sustainable Organic Farming, its all in “On Good Land”

As our family attempts to take steps to simplify our lives and help our planet, I wanted to read something that was relevant to organic food and a simply life. This book fits the bill.

On Good Land, is an excellent book. You are drawn into the story of this small farm in the suburbs of Santa Barbara, California from the very beginning. The author, Michael Ableman has refused to let Fairview Gardens, this small farm be destroyed by the urbanization of California farmlands. He writes with wisdom and wit about the environmental and cultural benefits of small scale, diversified agriculture, and the link between good food on the table and the good earth it comes from. Good Food starts in the fields and orchards that are well tended. He makes the point that if we ignore this fundamental rule, it could be at our own peril as it says in the book “without good farming there can be no good food; and without good food there can be no good life.”

With much of the farm land in the North Texas area being swallowed up by new home developments and of course, the “necessary” strip mall on the corner for the sake of convenience, it felt good to read of someone who is trying to save at least a small part of rural America. Michael Ableman has two other books available, “From the Good Earth: A Celebration of Growing”

and Fields of Plenty: A Farmer’s Journey in Search of Real Food and the People who Grow It. I have those on my to read list! Let me know if you have read any of these books and what you thought.