The Contrary Farmer
$39.67
- Paperback
256 pages
- Release Date
1 May 1995
Summary
Gene Logsdon has become something of a rabble-rouser in progressive farm circles, stirring up debates and controversies with his popular New Farm Magazine column, The Contrary Farmer. One of Logsdon’s principle contrarieties is the opinion that–popular images of the vanishing American farmer, notwithstanding–greater numbers of people in the U.S. will soon be growing and raising a greater share of their own food than at any time since the last century. Instead of vanishing, more and more fa…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780930031749 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0930031741 |
| Author: | Gene Logsdon |
| Publisher: | Chelsea Green Publishing Co |
| Imprint: | Chelsea Green Publishing Co |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 256 |
| Release Date: | 1 May 1995 |
| Weight: | 454g |
| Dimensions: | 16mm x 153mm x 229mm |
| Series: | Real Goods Independent Living Book |
You Can Find This Book In
Critics Review
Publishers Weekly-
“Cutting down a large tree should be an act charged with ritual.” Why? Farming columnist Logsdon ( Organic Orcharding ) points to the tree’s “wonderful accomplishment” and to its “feat of survival” as models for ourselves. Then he goes on to discuss ways of felling trees that have come to the end of their lives and can therefore spare their wood for fuel. This collection of essays recommends cottage farming–the small-scale, part-time growing that aims to reduce food expenses and increase pleasure in living–in a tone that combines even-handed pragmatism, idealism (“Measure the value of products in human terms,” he urges) and impatient realism (“Let those who put their faith in fancy threads laugh at your jeans”). The author rejects “institutionalized claptrap” for the greater benefits of rural independence and freedom, and outlines ways we can pursue these. “Flee the evils that centralized power always generates,” he advises, calling himself an investor in “the tools that make sweat more productive.” Logsdon raises a sanely unruly voice in a society where life too often only seems civilized. His correctives are not easily applied, but their promise and appeal (like his own) are powerful. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Gene Logsdon
Gene Logsdon farms in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. He is one of the clearest and most original voices of rural America. He has published more than two dozen books; his Chelsea Green books include Small-Scale Grain Raising (2nd Edition), Living at Nature’s Pace, The Contrary Farmer’s Invitation to Gardening, Good Spirits, and The Contrary Farmer. He writes a popular blog at OrganicToBe.org, is a regular contributor to Farming magazine and The Draft Horse Journal, and writes an award-winning weekly column in the Carey, Ohio Progressor Times.
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.