I give a tour about once per week to some family who is interested in learning more about their food and where it comes from. Lately I’ve been getting the question of what to recommend for people to read as they continue on their journey to good food. Rather than trying to answer everyone individually, I thought I’d make some recommendations via the blog. That helps those of you who haven’t or can’t make it to the farm for a tour and those who do who will now have a handy list.
In no particular order.
Animal, Vegetable, Mineral. This book is a great read on eating local. Barbara is an excellent writer and this experiment on eating local they performed with their family is a great story on food miles and reconnecting with the seasons. I actually reread this book in 2016 and it’s still as good and pertinent as ever. It’s actually interesting to read it now as she talks about the local food movement because back when she wrote it, there really wasn’t a local food movement. We’ve come so far since her book.
The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Or anything by Michael Pollan. Michael isn’t a farmer, but he does a great job of articulating the story about why real food matters.
Farmacology. This book was one I read after watching the authors Google talk which is free on Youtube and I highly recommend.
Make the bread, buy the butter. A lot of people on this path get overwhelmed by all the life changes that accompany changing your diet. I don’t agree with every recommendation in this book, but overall it’s a great read and set of recommendations on where to focus your time to get the best bang for the buck with your time in the kitchen.
Folks, this ain’t normal. Or anything by Joel Salatin. Most people know about Joel, but for those that don’t, he’s the godfather of the local farm movement. If you aren’t ready to dive into his book, then you can watch video’s of him here or here. Once you watch these two, YouTube will direct you to the next 100.
Stockman Grass Farmer. If you want to dive into the minutiae of holistic grass ranching, this is the periodical for you. Don’t go down this rabbit trail unless you really want to get into the details.
Allan Savory’s TED talk. Animals and grazing aren’t the problem. They are the solution.
The 64 dollar tomato. A reminder why I garden the way I do, rather than the way the author does.
Anything with Greg Judy. He has a number of videos on YouTube about grazing practices and how to be profitable ranching and grazing.
The Cook and the Gardener. Reconnect your cooking with the seasons with the great read of a cookbook. Yes, you can read cookbooks. It’s not weird. No really.
Backyard Livestock is a primer on keeping animals on your homestead or farm.
And because every book can’t be serious, a book by Christopher Moore. This one is one of my favorites.
Interesting reading list. I have also heard that “Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and Diet Dictocrats” is interesting as well.