The Seasons on Henry’s Farm: A Year of Food and Life on a Sustainable Farm

Publishers Information

About The Seasons on Henry’s Farm: A Year of Food and Life on a Sustainable Farm

Publisher Web Link: http://www.agatepublishing.com/

Henry’s Farm, run by Henry Brockman, is in central Illinois--some of the richest farming land in the world. There, he and his family--five generations of farmers, including sister Terra, the author--have bucked the traditional agribusiness conventional wisdom by farming in a way that’s sensible, sustainable, and focused on producing healthy, nutritious food in ways that don’t despoil the land. Terra Brockman tells the story of her family and their life on the farm in the form of a year-long memoir--with recipes--that takes readers through each season of life on the farm. Studded with vignettes, digressions, photographs, family stories, and illustrations of the farm’s vivid plant life, the book is a one-of-a-kind treasure that will appeal to readers of Michael Pollan, E.B. White, Gretel Ehrlich, and Sandra Steingraber.

Through closely observed natural phenomena and engagingly told stories, The Seasons of Henry’s Farm takes readers deep inside the world of a small-scale farmer, and in so doing, opens a window into what sustainable farming really entails and why it is vital and relevant to everyone--everyone who eats, that is. Though rooted in the rolling oak-hickory hills and fertile fields and flood plains of the Mackinaw River Valley, the book ranges widely, incorporating literary, scientific, and culinary reflections occasioned by the week-by-week events of farm life.

The Seasons on Henry’s Farm shows readers the cyclical rhythms of nature and of sustainable agriculture, which mimics nature, and the life of an extended family that not only believes in the importance of stewarding the land but lives it every day. Brockman invites us to recognize our place in the cosmos, and to understand that growing good food does not mean destroying soil and water, and that we can eat well and live well, and still leave this earth a better place than we found it. She has created a mindful and mouthwatering invitation to eat great food grown by people near you who love the land. This is a book for everyone who cares about the food we eat, the land we live on, and the environment that sustains us.

Author Information

About Terra Brockman

Author Web Link: http://terrabrockman.com/

A member of a remarkable farming family, Terra is a nuanced observer of, fierce advocate for, and gifted writer and speaker about sustainable agriculture.

She comes at her subject from unexpected angles, combining her experience growing up as one of the 4th generation of an Illinois farm family with her expertise in biology, ecology, literature, philosophy and history. Overall, Terra celebrates the many benefits that come from farming in harmony with nature.

Terra is the author of The Seasons on Henry’s Farm: A Year of Food and Life on a Sustainable Farm, and the founder of The Land Connection, an educational nonprofit that saves farmland, trains farmers in entrepreneurial farming, and connects local producers and consumers.  Much of her recent work is grounded in her brother Henry’s Farm in central Illinois, where he grows 655 varieties of vegetables in the Mackinaw River Valley. She has written articles for many publications, including a monthly “Cooking with the Seasons” column for Conscious Choice, and the “From Your Local Farmer” column for Mindful Metropolis.

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The Seasons on Henry’s Farm: A Year of Food and Life on a Sustainable Farm

by Terra Brockman