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On Good Land: The Autobiography of an Urban Farm
In the heart of suburban Santa Barbara, where land is pricey and a field is worth more covered with asphalt than arugula, asparagus, and apple trees, thrives Fairview Gardens, a small organic farm managed for the past 18 years by Michael Ableman. On Good Land, an engrossing read, chronicles the life of the 100-year-old farm -- from its history to Ableman's first glimpse of the land to the current struggle to save it from development. Blending photographs, philosophy, humor, and practical knowledge, Ableman brings the reader into the everyday world of a small farm. With him we prune peach trees, harvest peppers, journey to the farmer's market, and fight city hall. Part memoir, part photojournalistic montage, On Good Land reveals one man's love of the land and his struggle to protect it, and to spread the word about the importance of practicing sustainable agriculture and preserving our farms in an increasingly urban world.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1998
3 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Michael Ableman
10 books9 followersMichael Ableman is an American-Canadian author, organic farmer, educator, and advocate for sustainable agriculture. Michael has been farming organically since the early 1970s and is considered one of the pioneers of the organic farming and urban agriculture movements. He is a frequent lecturer to audiences all over the world and the winner of numerous awards for his work. Ableman is the author of four trade published books: From the Good Earth: A celebration of growing food around the world; On Good Land: The autobiography of an urban farm; Fields Of Plenty; A farmer's journey in search of real food and the people who grow it, and most recently Street Farm; Growing Food, Jobs, and Hope on the Urban Frontier. Michael Ableman is the founder of the Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens in Goleta, California where he farmed for 20 years; co-founder and director of Sole Food Street Farms and the charity Cultivate Canada in Vancouver, British Columbia; and founder and director of the Center for Arts, Ecology and Agriculture based at his family home and farm on Salt Spring Island.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 6, 2011
I really liked this book! It took some convincing at first... I was initially put off by the way Ableman seemed to only half-heartedly take on certain projects. For example, he bought geese, and then when they started scaring the visitors he just took them to a park to release them - REALLY? - and then tried turkeys, and found most of them drowned in the kiddie pool he'd set up for the geese. Turkeys and water do not mix - I know this and I've never had a turkey! I would think someone actually planning to raise them would do 5 minutes of research to create the right habitat. I felt actions like these were disrespectful of the animals he was taking under his care and also showed a lack of planning, rather than a lack of suitability for his situation as he seemed to imply.
BUT. In the end, I loved the story of this organic farm that grew into its own in the middle of the LA suburbs, and found myself photocopying the resource section, writing down several quotes, and wishing I could have my own copy for the many photos that so beautifully evoke this place and its unique relationship with its urban surroundings. It is the best and most evocative book I have read yet about urban farming and the kind of life that I am attempting to take on, with all its costs, trials and errors, risks and politics (landowners, lawyers and neighbors, oh my!). I will most likely think of this book often as I get into navigating these waters myself. It is also a really quick and entertaining read, even though it took ME an awfully long time to read it!
BUT. In the end, I loved the story of this organic farm that grew into its own in the middle of the LA suburbs, and found myself photocopying the resource section, writing down several quotes, and wishing I could have my own copy for the many photos that so beautifully evoke this place and its unique relationship with its urban surroundings. It is the best and most evocative book I have read yet about urban farming and the kind of life that I am attempting to take on, with all its costs, trials and errors, risks and politics (landowners, lawyers and neighbors, oh my!). I will most likely think of this book often as I get into navigating these waters myself. It is also a really quick and entertaining read, even though it took ME an awfully long time to read it!
January 11, 2013
Pg. 5: Sounds like he may have a plan for the next 100 years.
Pg. 18: He plowed up Marijuana left by the earlier farmer manager. That would now be legal in Washington State.
Pg23: His discreptive accessment of field equipment reminds of a need for an equipment exchange. Machines: how boring. No wonder kids want to move away from the farm. How about a gradation of jobs as a kid gets older.
Pg 32: Farming and falling in love both are means of perpetuating the human species. "Everyday was different" he say. I agree with that as a walker. For those that drive; every day is pretty much the same. No wonder people get tired of their lives.
Pg 41: His Granddad looked over his extended family with great pride and hope for the future.
Pg 52: In a fight respect your opponent.
Pg 72: His turkey story is the same as my Dad's. Got 6, all died but one, ate none.
Pg 107: He starts a CSA with 40 families the first year. That is peanuts compared to the RootConnection in the Samammish Valley. A good idea; a trade table for leave/take.
Pg 117: This maybe how J.A. got started as a farmer. As a traslater for Japanese visitors.
Pg 119: They had bluegrass music at the farm event.
Pg. 128: He was just the manager of the farm. the owner would pass it on to their own children. He only had one son himself and if that continues there will only be one descendant for his hundred year plan.
Pg. 134: His CSA turns in toan LLC.
Pg 137: He talks of wages and housing for the worker. That's were shipping container housing could come in.
Pg 141: He lists more books on farming.
Pg. 18: He plowed up Marijuana left by the earlier farmer manager. That would now be legal in Washington State.
Pg23: His discreptive accessment of field equipment reminds of a need for an equipment exchange. Machines: how boring. No wonder kids want to move away from the farm. How about a gradation of jobs as a kid gets older.
Pg 32: Farming and falling in love both are means of perpetuating the human species. "Everyday was different" he say. I agree with that as a walker. For those that drive; every day is pretty much the same. No wonder people get tired of their lives.
Pg 41: His Granddad looked over his extended family with great pride and hope for the future.
Pg 52: In a fight respect your opponent.
Pg 72: His turkey story is the same as my Dad's. Got 6, all died but one, ate none.
Pg 107: He starts a CSA with 40 families the first year. That is peanuts compared to the RootConnection in the Samammish Valley. A good idea; a trade table for leave/take.
Pg 117: This maybe how J.A. got started as a farmer. As a traslater for Japanese visitors.
Pg 119: They had bluegrass music at the farm event.
Pg. 128: He was just the manager of the farm. the owner would pass it on to their own children. He only had one son himself and if that continues there will only be one descendant for his hundred year plan.
Pg. 134: His CSA turns in toan LLC.
Pg 137: He talks of wages and housing for the worker. That's were shipping container housing could come in.
Pg 141: He lists more books on farming.
May 6, 2019
Very interesting story that was written well. I found it inspiring but it made me sad that he never really owned the land. He put all that energy, love & time into something that could never be his. At least his vision continues!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2021
Never hath one man had such love for an urban farm. A gentle telling of the live of Fairview Farm in a bustling area of California. A reminder that we are connected to the land and shouldn't be too eager for material progress.
January 15, 2017
On Good Land was written by Michael Abelman about the 20 years he managed Fairview farm in Goleta, CA near Santa Barbara. The farm was slowly surrounded by subdivisions and after dealing with complaints over roosters crowing, compost piles too close to the property lines, tractors making too much noise, etc., the people of the community gradually accepted Fairview and it's fresh fruits and vegetables. Abelman did a lot to grow public awareness about the need for fresh, organic food and the good farming methods to achieve this. Eventually the farm formed a nonprofit corporation named the Center for Urban Agriculture. Very light, easy read with tons of colorful photographs.
January 12, 2013
I stumbled on this book at the library while hunting down gardening books. Written in 1998, it describes the history of Fairview Gardens in Goleta, California. It's a quick read with its thick, glossy pages and numerous photos (though maddeningly without captions). It's yet another example of my being late to the party (I'm an overly excited 'noob' about all things gardening and sustainable living—much has been written on the topic over the years). Lucky for me, I found it—it's a fantastic story and a perfect model of how agriculture might survive in tiny bits and pieces among unending suburban sprawl.
Right away the book captures the imagination with google-map style views of Fairview Gardens: one picture taken in 1954 and one in 1998. This 12 acre parcel of land has literally been swallowed by suburban sprawl, highways and development, yet it thrives as an organic farm.
The story of how this land was kept from being turned into development itself is an inspiring tale. Author Michael Ableman takes over as a 'manager' of the land, living in its rickety old farmhouse with his wife and new baby, and tending the small orchards and fields, though he must report to the land's long-time owners, the Chapmans. He has expensive false starts (a whole orchard of green peaches, planted, tended, and harvested with immense care, that never proved sellable) and many tough obstacles (accidentally bursting irrigation pipes and causing a flood), but nothing provides as much frustration and challenge as the neighbors. Many are outright angry and want him—and the farm--gone. They had not purchased an expensive home in a sought-after neighborhood only to learn after the fact that a rotting compost pile lay behind their yard, or that roosters would crow in the early hours. Or that a tractor would make its rounds, quite literally in their backyards.
Never knowing exactly how he would save the land from being sold by the owners to development, Ableman charges forward, working hard and winning over neighbors who learn to love the fresh food the farm produced. Ableman never shies from reaching out to everyone around him, whether to stand up to their demands or to calmly invite them to come see for themselves what was happening on the farm. He exhibits a gutsy determination that I find admirable. There are times it seems it would be much easier to give up on this parcel of land and try his hand at farming somewhere else (at one point his father offers him family land in Deleware--a climate that would in many ways be easier to deal with). However, Ableman perseveres through setbacks and even a divorce. After over a decade of challenges, sweat, and tears, the landowners allow the 13 acres to sell (for a whopping 750k)...but NOT to the developers. Cornelia Chapman allowed Ableman and a group of committed activists in the community—who formed a non-profit organization--to purchase the land and place it in a public trust. In Ableman's words:
“Fairview Gardens was never mine—and not just because someone else held the title. I have known for a long time that its role was to be a public place. It could never be just a private farm, or someone's personal retreat back to the land. Instead, this farm has provided a way for people to reclaim a connection to one of the most important and intimate acts: growing the food that they and their children eat. Over the course of a few generations, most people have given that power away to distant farms. They let this vital process take place out of sight, losing the pleasures and the connections that come with it. ...We cannot all go back to the land, but we can provide something of the land to everyone.”
Ableman's book is succinct, and his words are powerful; none wasted. Although the book is very quick and easy to read, it doesn't lack in humor, insight, and powerful motivation. Models like Fairview Gardens will be more and more necessary as we navigate new ideas for agriculture (namely, small community farms). I was thrilled to have happened upon such a gem, and I plan to look into the present day Fairveiw Gardens at www.fairviewgardens.org.
Right away the book captures the imagination with google-map style views of Fairview Gardens: one picture taken in 1954 and one in 1998. This 12 acre parcel of land has literally been swallowed by suburban sprawl, highways and development, yet it thrives as an organic farm.
The story of how this land was kept from being turned into development itself is an inspiring tale. Author Michael Ableman takes over as a 'manager' of the land, living in its rickety old farmhouse with his wife and new baby, and tending the small orchards and fields, though he must report to the land's long-time owners, the Chapmans. He has expensive false starts (a whole orchard of green peaches, planted, tended, and harvested with immense care, that never proved sellable) and many tough obstacles (accidentally bursting irrigation pipes and causing a flood), but nothing provides as much frustration and challenge as the neighbors. Many are outright angry and want him—and the farm--gone. They had not purchased an expensive home in a sought-after neighborhood only to learn after the fact that a rotting compost pile lay behind their yard, or that roosters would crow in the early hours. Or that a tractor would make its rounds, quite literally in their backyards.
Never knowing exactly how he would save the land from being sold by the owners to development, Ableman charges forward, working hard and winning over neighbors who learn to love the fresh food the farm produced. Ableman never shies from reaching out to everyone around him, whether to stand up to their demands or to calmly invite them to come see for themselves what was happening on the farm. He exhibits a gutsy determination that I find admirable. There are times it seems it would be much easier to give up on this parcel of land and try his hand at farming somewhere else (at one point his father offers him family land in Deleware--a climate that would in many ways be easier to deal with). However, Ableman perseveres through setbacks and even a divorce. After over a decade of challenges, sweat, and tears, the landowners allow the 13 acres to sell (for a whopping 750k)...but NOT to the developers. Cornelia Chapman allowed Ableman and a group of committed activists in the community—who formed a non-profit organization--to purchase the land and place it in a public trust. In Ableman's words:
“Fairview Gardens was never mine—and not just because someone else held the title. I have known for a long time that its role was to be a public place. It could never be just a private farm, or someone's personal retreat back to the land. Instead, this farm has provided a way for people to reclaim a connection to one of the most important and intimate acts: growing the food that they and their children eat. Over the course of a few generations, most people have given that power away to distant farms. They let this vital process take place out of sight, losing the pleasures and the connections that come with it. ...We cannot all go back to the land, but we can provide something of the land to everyone.”
Ableman's book is succinct, and his words are powerful; none wasted. Although the book is very quick and easy to read, it doesn't lack in humor, insight, and powerful motivation. Models like Fairview Gardens will be more and more necessary as we navigate new ideas for agriculture (namely, small community farms). I was thrilled to have happened upon such a gem, and I plan to look into the present day Fairveiw Gardens at www.fairviewgardens.org.
May 8, 2012
Inspiring book about what a farm can mean to an urban community. The author writes about his decades of experience on this Californian farm which was totally surrounded by urban sprawl during his time on the land.
Among topics covered are:
Organic growth and the value of holistic environment in growth of food.
Issues of urban v rural including loud roosters, stinky compost, destruction of environment caused by paving.
Educational uses of farms in urban communities where children grow up separated from the food that they eat.
Traditional farming stuff like when to plant, how to trim, bugs, weeds etc...
I loved the narrative provided, hearing about some disasters, some miracles, community tension, community support, and how the organization o f the farm changed during the authors tenor (turned into a land grant farm in 1998!)
Although this book is not one of the post-industrial farms that are springing up in the 2000's but rather a last remainder of the traditional farm in a community trying to grow it out of existence, I think the book still holds alot of value for those working on urban gardens in post-industrial cities.
Among topics covered are:
Organic growth and the value of holistic environment in growth of food.
Issues of urban v rural including loud roosters, stinky compost, destruction of environment caused by paving.
Educational uses of farms in urban communities where children grow up separated from the food that they eat.
Traditional farming stuff like when to plant, how to trim, bugs, weeds etc...
I loved the narrative provided, hearing about some disasters, some miracles, community tension, community support, and how the organization o f the farm changed during the authors tenor (turned into a land grant farm in 1998!)
Although this book is not one of the post-industrial farms that are springing up in the 2000's but rather a last remainder of the traditional farm in a community trying to grow it out of existence, I think the book still holds alot of value for those working on urban gardens in post-industrial cities.
July 18, 2008
This was just a nice little book with lovely pictures telling the story of an organic farm in California. I didn't really learn anything new but it was entertaining and engrossing to read about the farmer's struggles with continuing to farm the middle of urban sprawl. It made me want to live in California where you can get local avacados and citrus fruit. I can't say it made me want to be a farmer, but the combination of reading this book and babysitting some chickens made me want to have a little garden and some chickens.
April 28, 2009
What I learned: general difficulties that the farm faced, general ideas about local and organic food, generalities about how people should develop a connection to the land and the food that comes from it
What I didn't learn: how to have one's own urban garden, what specifically was going on with his farm (what worked, what didn't, and what politics were affecting them)
Best parts: beautiful pictures interspersed throughout and adorable vignettes on farm life, such as 'how to pick a perfect peach.'
What I didn't learn: how to have one's own urban garden, what specifically was going on with his farm (what worked, what didn't, and what politics were affecting them)
Best parts: beautiful pictures interspersed throughout and adorable vignettes on farm life, such as 'how to pick a perfect peach.'
August 17, 2014
This is a great persuasive argument for urban organic farming. Across the street from Neverland Ranch and next to a football player who serves this farmer a cease and desist order for composting, this farm was a place of education for local school kids and adults, growing enough food for a couple thousand people on a mere 14 acres of land. I hope it's still in existence, this book was written while they were facing being shut-down, the landlady threatening to sell the land for a housing complex.
October 31, 2008
Gorgeous photography, and an interesting look at the development of Fairview Gardens, an urban farm in LA. I really would've enjoyed a much deeper examination of the work the farm has done in the areas of education. As it is, this book was pretty short -- more like a summary or glossing over of what's happened there in the past 20 years.
June 2, 2011
This book was comprised of nicely written essays concerning the development of urban farm in California. It would be a good read for anyone interested in community farming programs or urban farming. Not exactly what I was looking for, but a pleasant way to spend some time nevertheless.
December 10, 2008
I read most of this book which was a great illustration of suburbia encroaching on rural land. It has lovely pictures.
March 27, 2009
Short and sweet and easy to read. Good entertaining sub-urban farm story. It didn't sound like an urban farm to me, with rows of condos and track houses next door. Nice pictures.
April 6, 2010
The story or one urban farm, bioneers.
December 2, 2010
Really liked this one. A farm in the city. Would have liked to visit it when I was in Santa Barbara. Eh - but lack of time.
May 28, 2010
Enjoyable memoir of a suburban farmer who turns a 100 year old farm into a thriving expression of nature and economy at its best.
May 7, 2014
Quick read. Lots of pictures. Doesn't cover any topic in detail. Decent history of one farm in a nutshell.
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September 27, 2013At a time when small farms are disappearing at a staggering rate, this book provides an example of how one small farm can make a difference.
February 5, 2016
A story about urban farming. I loved it!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews