Northern Harvest: Twenty Michigan Women in Food and Farming

by Emita Brady Hill

Northern Twenty Michigan Women in Food and Farming looks at the female culinary pioneers who have put northern Michigan on the map for food, drink, and farming. Emita Brady Hill interviews women who share their own stories of becoming the cooks, bakers, chefs, and farmers that they are today—each even sharing a delicious recipe or two. These stories are as important to tracing the gastronomic landscape in America as they are to honoring the history, agriculture, and community of Michigan. Divided into six sections, Northern Harvest celebrates very different women who converged in an important region of Michigan and helped transform it into the flourishing culinary Eden it is today. Hill speaks with orchardists and farmers about planting their own fruit trees and making the decision to transition their farms over to organic. She hears from growers who have been challenged by the northern climate and have made exclusive use of fair trade products in their business. Readers are introduced to the first-ever cheesemaker in the Leelanau area and a pastry chef who is doing it all from scratch. Readers also get a sneak peek into the origins of Traverse City institutions such as Folgarelli’s Market and Wine Shop and Trattoria Stella. Hill catches up with local cookbook authors and nationally known food writers. She interviews the founder of two historic homesteads that introduce visitors to a way of living many of us only know from history books. These oral histories allow each woman to tell her story as she chooses, in her own words, with her own emphasis, and her own discretion or indiscretions. Northern Harvest is a celebration of northern Michigan’s rich culinary tradition and the women who made it so. Hungry readers will swallow this book whole.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food

341 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 5, 2020

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always had a fascination with independent farmers and cheese makers and bakers, and when I heard there was a book of oral histories about twenty Michigan women who made their lives around the growing of and cooking of food, I was delighted to buy it. To start with, it's beautiful...a lovely bright red cover with an inset for a picture of plates and bowls of eggs and cheese and berries and the title. But, of course, the most fascinating thing is the lives of the women. I expected each one (and they ranged from rather old to remarkably young) would have set her sight on her path right away and simply followed it. No, they all wandered into their journey with food and some of them may have further adventures before them. I never realized that working with artisanal, organic food is not much more profitable than being in the arts, but it is as much of a passion. One woman yearns for that great extravagance: a milk cow. Another studies in France and Switzerland to make cheese. Another speaks in pure poetry of making chocolates, another of the huge friendships and perhaps love that can be formed over flour in a bakery. Each of the twenty vibrant and individual stories contains recipes and photographs. It's a wonderfully unusual gift book for anyone who is fascinated with personal adventures in food set not in the great culinary capitals of the world or historic farmlands of Europe, but in Traverse City, Michigan and its surrounding regions.

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

20 stories of 20 Northern Michigan women in the food industry, from restaurants to farms to journalism and everything in-between. The majority live in and around Leelanau County and Traverse City. Each story is a fascinating case study of the path to where they are today (not always straight forward). It was also fun reading through the recipes included by each woman.

Some common themes I found amongst the women is an intuition to follow their guts, regardless if it makes 100% sense at the time. Travel, travel, travel! Many stories discuss traveling within the US and overseas, to work and learn in a variety of environments. Also, coming into your passion may partially be luck and who you know - both your family's influence on you growing up and the people you come into contact with throughout your life.

Overall, a fascinating book I'm sure I'll read again. I feel more connected to the food scene in my local area and would love to meet some of these women! The most inspiring story I read was Angela Macke's and her business Light of Day Organic Tea. I enjoyed reading about her viewpoint on holistic living and biodynamic farming.

[Suzanne Skelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful read. The author interviewed 20 Michigan women involved in the food and farming community in the Leelanau peninsula of Michigan.

Each told of their path towards the food industry in very open fashion. For most it was not a straight path, but these very strong independent women who chose this path wisely and well.

The book also includes some fabulous recipes. This book will stay on my shelves and be used often.

[Yvette Kalinowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was reading this book about 20 extraordinary women in northern Michigan I found myself reaching for my iPad over and over wanting to know more about them and the businesses that they are connected with to bring such awareness of the food movement. I found this book to be inspirational.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinary!