Love for the Land: Lessons from Farmers Who Persist in Place

by Brooks Lamb

"A moving exploration of presence and place told through the stories of small-scale farmers who, despite intense adversity, continue caring for their land"
 
Love for the Land explores the power and potential of people-place relationships. Through clear and compelling prose, it elevates the virtues of imagination, affection, and fidelity—concepts promoted by farmer-writer Wendell Berry—and shows how they motivate small- and mid-scale farmers to care for the land, even in the face of adversity. Paying particular attention to farmland loss from suburban sprawl, rampant agricultural consolidation, and, for farmers of color, racial injustice, Brooks Lamb reckons with the harsh realities that these farmers face.
 
Drawing from in-depth interviews and hands-on experiences in two changing rural communities, he shares stories and sacrifices from dozens of farmers, local leaders, agricultural service providers, and land conservationists. Lamb’s rural roots and farming background enable him to cultivate honest, trusting connections with the farmers he engages, yielding raw and powerful insights. Time and again, compelling evidence reveals that stewardship virtues encourage people to live and act as devoted caretakers.
 
With a refreshing, accessible, and engaging approach, Lamb argues that these resilient and often overlooked farmers show rural and urban people alike a way forward, one that serves people, places, and the planet. That path is rooted in love for the land.

Genres: Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

Published July 25, 2023

About the author

Brooks Lamb is a conservationist, agrarian, and author. His newest book is "Love for the Land: Lessons from Farmers Who Persist in Place," which reviewers have called "excellent," "graceful," "inspiring," and "more necessary than ever." Brooks grew up on a small family farm in rural Tennessee and remains active in caring for that place.

Learn more at www.brookslamb.com

Reviews

[Malle Carrasco-Harris]

Reading Brooks's latest book had been thinking deeply about how the qualities necessary in small farmers relate in my life as a (admittedly lightweight) homemaker in an urban setting.

I can’t ever remember not wanting animals - particularly farm animals - but I am deeply rooted in an urban setting, so I settle for having an amazing dog, a garden for vegetables and flowers, and three hens.

Brooks highlights the qualities of imagination, affection and fidelity in being key qualities necessary to help small farmers maintain their land and lives despite the almost insurmountable pressure pitted against them.

I keep thinking about affection in particular when it comes to my hens. They're a chore, an idea we jumped on during the pandemic when our travel-loving selves were temporarily grounded. We can’t escape town as easily now because of the minimal but consistent care they require. The mental burden of finding a sitter is enough to make me think twice about a trip. I have never bothered to calculate if they’re even financially worth it (if you are thinking about getting a few, they're probably not).

For me, the affection towards my animals goes beyond the eggs. I wake before the crack of dawn everyday, don mosquito protection in the sticky humidity, de-poop the coop, and listen to the their individual coos. It was a surprise to me that these sisters each has a different voice! On neighborhood walks, I keep an eye out for curbside items that may enhance their “jungle gym.” I know what kitchen scraps they really like, and what they’ll snub like fussy toddlers. Whether it's the unbearable dog days of summer or the arctic blasts that reach their fingers down to lay a coat of ice on the south, I am out there, making sure my ladies have what they need. Yet it makes my heart swell when I turn the corner to leave and I hear Claire cawing the "flock separation" call, or when I see Mrs. Fitzgibbons trip over a log coming around the corner at break neck speed after she hears me cry "ladies!"

I also experience fidelity to this land. I always shirked at plants when younger, but now I’m putting in honest physical effort to maintain a vegetable and flower garden. It’s mostly wild in appearance sometimes, and I can safely say my least favorite chore is watering. I manage compost bins to nurture the gardens with our scraps and chicken waste, and am pleased to see how little trash we put into the street bins because of our efforts to reduce our earthly footprint.

I imagine having more land because I want more animals: give me the goats, horses, pigs and cows! However, I’m also torn about leaving my little square for more land. Our city plot isn’t much, but I’ve put a lot of love, care, and time into it. As more of the older residents leave, the neighborhood homes are becoming rentals. I can’t imagine that a tenant would care for this little city plot the way I have. So, I rarely even entertain the idea of us moving. My home is here with my chickens and my monstrous tomato plants; the stubborn squirrel taking out my pansies and the cardinals that steal chicken food when I go inside; the tiny trees we planted this fall and the old willow oak next door which drops approximately 89% of its leaves in my driveway.

All my musings were better identified and appreciated because the stories Brooks shares in this book have broader universal connections in people. People that love, dream, and are rooted in their home. At times, the book is very weighty in its topic and implications, but if you allow it to - if you'll sit through the difficulty - you may find windows to human connection open in you. You may, too, find the small farmer in yourself.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important perspective on farmland protection and the environmental, economic, and human benefits, with particular focus on stewardship virtues and Black farmers. If only shortsighted government officials and planners would pay attention.

[Jon Stave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

The author pays homage to farmers on smaller farms, highlighting love, sacrifice, and diligence. He promotes virtues like imagination, fidelity and affection. While discussing challenges like suburban sprawl, racism and farm consolidation, the author urges for responsible stewardship of the land.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Next time you’re driving home and you see a new subdivision where a farm used to be, take a moment to think about the farmers who persist. As long as we want to see green spaces in our communities and food in the grocery store, we desperately need local farmers to continue in their tireless, often thankless, invaluable pursuits.

[Brian Basso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love for the Land is an excellent work of environmental writing. The author highlights an important and often overlooked aspect of land stewardship--that the virtues of imagination, affection, and fidelity are not only the driving motivators of many small farmers, but also that these virtues are critical to land conservation generally. Most importantly, the author shows that imagination, affection, and fidelity for the land can be applied by everyone, no matter if you are from a small rural community or a large city. Would highly recommend this book!

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book! Important stories from those dedicated to the land, highlighting the complexities of stewardship and the commitment from the stewards themselves.

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10. educational, interesting, and accessible. while recognizing all the dangers posed to small farms, the book ends on a hopeful note. makes me want to go live on a farm and love the land forever.

[Destiny B · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This books is beautifully written and it was nice hearing personally from the author on the content late 2023.

[Clay · Rating 5 out of 5]

America’s farmland has never been more financially valued than it is today, especially around population centers where major cash flow affords instant riches via land development. Brooks, through thoughtful interviews with farmers in these areas, records and interprets the depth of complexity that they reckon with in these trying times. Although farming the land for a living is trending less and less viable, this work studies and explains how a farmer’s inextricable affection and connection to their land can maintain stalwart commitment to it, like a captain to his ship. The reader gains appreciation for how an intense longing to awake every morning where the fondest of memories have been made, and a hope that one day they or the next generation farmer will again thrive on that land, in a viable agrarian culture and economy, prompt some to forgo the promise of riches and accept risk of more financial hardship and uncertainty. The problem is dire for so many, but hope and encouragement persists and is growing in these communities. Slowing the loss of America’s farmland and the agrarian culture engendered by it will require dedicated help from all, from producers to consumers. Brooks masterfully inspires you get your gears turning on ways you can help in your community.

[Keith Good · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love for the Land combines scholarship and interviews to illustrate how America can create a thriving agrarian culture. Lamb draws on the works of Wendell Berry and speaks of an imagination for and fidelity to our land. Interviews with farmers, though illuminating, tend to hit on the same themes again and again: they stay because of a deep connection to the land and family. The villains here are hawkish land developers and ever-hungry mega farms. Closing chapters give a thorough, if a bit rosy, look at how state and federal governments can reallocate tax money and adjust current laws to maximize the benefit to American farmers. Though a dry in parts, Love for the Land shows what American Agriculture is doing well and provides a scholarly roadmap to greener pastures.

[Danielle Hardy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciated the book discussing love for the land and what that means in terms of virtues and actions. The message was one I have heard across the board in the various books in this subtopic of farming and land conservation ala Wendell Berry; however, there was not really any new messaging. I also could have completely done without the whole focus on racial inequality and racism in farming. If the major issues facing farming and land conservation were listed and ranked, this would be nowhere on the radar of pressing issues that need to be addressed in our time.

[Shahdin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book to be enjoyed by virtually anyone. You don’t need a solid understanding of agriculture to understand and feel moved by the story Brooks builds out of real-world scenarios and interviews, you just need to make some time to sit and enjoy the read. I highly recommend this book, and couldn’t be more excited to see what’s next from Brooks!

[Emma Harter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for my place-based project and ended up loving it…touched on the importance of farmland preservation, building a more equitable and sustainable farming system, and how stewardship values impact the human-land relationship. Reminded me to be thankful for our local farmers!!!

[Jonathan Helton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me hope that the people fighting to keep small farms in Tennessee will succeed.

[Gunter Gaupp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible read! Lamb handles small farm advocacy with an infectious sense of kindness and stewardship

[Armstrong22 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was phenomenal. Loved the way that Lamb lays a philosophical foundation in such an accessible way then brings the voices of small farmers and ag folks directly into the conversation. It was gut wrenching to read some of their experiences. We can’t ignore the roles and examples that these individuals and communities provide—kudos to the author for shining this light. Everyone should read!