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Making Love While Farming: Field guide to a life of passion & purpose
Making Love While Farming is a compelling book that includes over fifty essays and stories that recount the humorous and harsh realities of a honeymoon of thousands of miles walked on pilgrimage from Auschwitz to Hiroshima; sixty combined years in the farm fields; adventures building and living off the grid; and the launch of a garlic and arts festival with neighbors and a hundred bucks that draws as many as ten thousand people each year.
302 pages, Unknown Binding
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 2, 2020
A beautiful, tangible example of how to build a life and partnership that serves and is intertwined with a local community while reflecting one's deepest values.
(And I know it's all true because I see Deb in the c0-op literally every time I go! Can verify Seeds-of-Solidarity-grown arugula is delicious.)
"The [buy local craze] had not yet hit our town and likely never would in the way more affluent communities would benefit from the buzz. We were culturally and geographically isolated from the nearby five-college region where farmers markets were burgeoning with Saturday morning latte-sippers filling canvas bags with organic vegetables and beeswax candles. We needed something unique to lift the spirits of the locals while supporting quality food and art. There was beautify and skill to be found in our region. It deserved celebrating."
"Ricky and I may have been more comfortable in a culturally diverse, small, urban community more similar to our respective upbringings. On our quest for land and community, we had considered city living and creating an East Coast version of the Integral Urban House (Berkeley circa late 1970s), but we wanted ample space to grow a lot of food and breathe. the place we landed and live does not resemble a college town, back-to-the-land Vermont, or a hip urban enclave (although we enjoy visiting both of those). We needed up in one of the poorest, most isolated rural regions in Massachusetts because we could afford the land and wanted to participate in meaningful ways in a community with real needs and interesting possibilities."
"Says Carrie [a former staff member]: 'Deb and Ricky made the choice to buy land that nobody wanted, and picked a community that many people continue to turn their backs on...the rural experience of poverty is not as appealing to most people [as working in urban communities].'"
"Catherine sees a chronic perception among planners and in communities in support of revitalization: expectations that an external force - such as an outside company - will save the community, moving in and providing jobs. 'It is very clear to me that it is not about waiting for that external force - it is about identifying and nurturing the strengths within that community.'"
(And I know it's all true because I see Deb in the c0-op literally every time I go! Can verify Seeds-of-Solidarity-grown arugula is delicious.)
"The [buy local craze] had not yet hit our town and likely never would in the way more affluent communities would benefit from the buzz. We were culturally and geographically isolated from the nearby five-college region where farmers markets were burgeoning with Saturday morning latte-sippers filling canvas bags with organic vegetables and beeswax candles. We needed something unique to lift the spirits of the locals while supporting quality food and art. There was beautify and skill to be found in our region. It deserved celebrating."
"Ricky and I may have been more comfortable in a culturally diverse, small, urban community more similar to our respective upbringings. On our quest for land and community, we had considered city living and creating an East Coast version of the Integral Urban House (Berkeley circa late 1970s), but we wanted ample space to grow a lot of food and breathe. the place we landed and live does not resemble a college town, back-to-the-land Vermont, or a hip urban enclave (although we enjoy visiting both of those). We needed up in one of the poorest, most isolated rural regions in Massachusetts because we could afford the land and wanted to participate in meaningful ways in a community with real needs and interesting possibilities."
"Says Carrie [a former staff member]: 'Deb and Ricky made the choice to buy land that nobody wanted, and picked a community that many people continue to turn their backs on...the rural experience of poverty is not as appealing to most people [as working in urban communities].'"
"Catherine sees a chronic perception among planners and in communities in support of revitalization: expectations that an external force - such as an outside company - will save the community, moving in and providing jobs. 'It is very clear to me that it is not about waiting for that external force - it is about identifying and nurturing the strengths within that community.'"
December 22, 2019
First, the cover is too beautiful not to be up here.
There’s a revolution taking place with farming. Small, but significant. Small farms may well save us all, and preserving the land for farming requires not only keeping developers at bay but also caring for the soil. The idea of no-till farming (applicable to gardening, too) and using cardboard, of all things, is a stroke of genius. Doesn’t matter who came up with it first, the point, in these days of failed climate legislation, is to keep carbon in the ground. No-till farming does that. Deb and Ricky are amazing, and not only for their farming technique, which took rotten land and made it “productive,” but also for the way they spread their gospel and help others who can’t afford fancy organic produce but can afford to grow their own. While I admire them, and appreciate their call to action, I can’t imagine doing what they’ve done. It was a mix of youth, idealism, and ADHD, that let them succeed. Thank god for people like them. It makes me want to do more.
There’s a revolution taking place with farming. Small, but significant. Small farms may well save us all, and preserving the land for farming requires not only keeping developers at bay but also caring for the soil. The idea of no-till farming (applicable to gardening, too) and using cardboard, of all things, is a stroke of genius. Doesn’t matter who came up with it first, the point, in these days of failed climate legislation, is to keep carbon in the ground. No-till farming does that. Deb and Ricky are amazing, and not only for their farming technique, which took rotten land and made it “productive,” but also for the way they spread their gospel and help others who can’t afford fancy organic produce but can afford to grow their own. While I admire them, and appreciate their call to action, I can’t imagine doing what they’ve done. It was a mix of youth, idealism, and ADHD, that let them succeed. Thank god for people like them. It makes me want to do more.
February 11, 2020
If you live in Western Mass and work in the food system, this is a very good read. I loved learning the local history of a radical farm. I feel inspired and encouraged by the work these two do in the north quabbin region. I was also impressed with the vulnerability and willingness to share personal details about marriage, children, and spirituality. That’s the real meat to any story, and it’s what made me truly curious and invested in these two folks. So happy to be a part of this awesome and inspiring food community! Thanks for this lovely book and for sharing your journey!
August 2, 2019
The book is well written but I found myself skipping past sections I did not find interesting. At the same time, there was plenty in the book that deserves more than a few paragraphs. Ex. More in depth info about how to create a “farming” program within schools. This could be a small book all on its own. So, I’m left wanting less of some things and more of others.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews