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Organic Gardening

Excellent reading for Organic Gardeners

17 years ago

Was at the National Agricultural Library in Beltsville, Maryland, a few days ago, and in the copy room, quite by chance found two books that had been left there prior to my arrival. I began reading the first: "The Fatal Harvest Reader--The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture", edited by Andrew Kimbrell, and was enthralled. I consider it a "must read" for organic gardeners. The second, "Hungry For Profit...The Agricultural Threat to Farmers, Food, and the Environment", edited by Fred Magdoff, John Foster, and Fred Buttel, equally as thought-provoking as the first. Both, well written and well documented; every organic gardener should do themselves a favor and read at least one; then, you'll read the other.

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Comments (3)

pnbrown
17 years ago
Thanks, I'll check through the library-loan service.

Though there isn't much left for me to be surprised by in big ag, and big business.
marylandmojo
Original Author
17 years ago
pnbrown: The library-loan service is it, I believe, because the National Agricultural Library provides books to libraries that request them, and USDA employees, ONLY, I was told while I was there. Your library can request them from the NAL, for you.
I certainly don't recommend, lightly, that someone read a book. In my opinion, The Fatal Harvest Reader is brilliant, with essays by some of the world's leading agrarian thinkers. In part one, "Corporate Lies...Busting The Myths Of Industrial Agriculture", it lists myths, and provides refutations of those myths, under the heading "Seven Deadly Myths Of Industrial Agriculture".
Those myths being:
1. Industrial agriculture will feed the world.
2. Industrial food is safe, healthy, and nutritious.
3. Industrial food is cheap.
4. Industrial agriclture is efficient.
5. Industrial food offers more choices.
6. Industrial food benefits the environment and wildlife.
7. Biotechnology will solve the problems of industrial
agriculture.
Some brilliant writing, to my mind; plus, the picture on the front of the book, of industrial agricultural in action, is worth a thousand words.
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The Metasequoia at the Wooster Research station in Ohio were planted in 1955 or 1958. They are a treemendous size but are no where near 140 feet. At the arboretum where they are planted there is a plaque with the details. It has been about 4 years since I've been there last. But all the measurements were listed. One of the oldest Metas in Canada is 10 minutes from my place. Tweleve seeds come from Holland, I think in 1955, to the University of Toronto where Dr. Cruise was teaching. One of those seeds went to his farm in Marburg. The tree was measured with an altimeter and in 2004 was 96 feet (approx. 30 metres). The Botanical gardens in Hamilton has a clone called "National" from the National Arb. in Washington. This tree I was told just passed the 100' (33m) mark a year or so ago. But don't know it's exact age. It is obviously younger than the species. I'm guessing it arrived in the 1960's. I just thought I would pass along some more realistic measurements. Perhaps in perfect conditions this could be plausible i.e. Pacific northwest. Darren
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I have Sara Williams' book Creating the Prairie Xeriscape and agree with you that it is an excellent book, and not just for those on the Prairies. I live in southern Ontario. Another good one that I bought several years ago is Growing Perennials in Cold Climates by Mike Heger and John Whitman, two gardeners in Minnesota.
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pnbrown
17 years ago
Wendell Berry appears in this 'reader', I presume?

So you were a farm-hand this summer, I take it? How was it?

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