Customer Reviews

Farmer Jane: Women Changing The Way We Eat

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is about a world that many of us urban types know something about because of farmer's markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA's) and Michael Pollan's books. But Farmer Jane, in a very engaging way, brings the world of the small farmer and the people and communities who support them to life. With each story I am more inspired to do what I can each day to support farmers who grow food with love and care. The book is also full of practical suggestions on how to do just this. After you finish reading this book, share with your friends. More than anything this book makes you feel like we all can help change our food system, step by step.

Questions about what we eat and how our food is produced are certainly trendy--and important--topics. There has been much written lately about the hazards of our present food system and various explanations for its deterioration. Farmer Jane instead highlights women who are involved in hopeful, creative, and inspiring food and farming ventures.

Farmer Jane covers a lot of ground--including women who are involved with community supported agriculture (CSA's), farming, markets, seed saving, farm to school programs, rural and urban farms, filmmaking, and writing. Some of the women are farmers, chefs and restaurant owners, activists working in nonprofit organizations, and one who calls herself a "culinary anthropologist." This book is well-written reportage, filled with facts, individual chronologies concerning food activism, explanations of techniques and strategies, and quotes by the featured women. The back section includes a helpful bibliography and a listing of over 30 women mentioned in the book and their affiliations and contact information.

There are many women with serious plans and also those with a sense of humor. Some of the cute place names noted are Full Belly Farm, Ghost Town Farm, and Inn Serendipity. My favorite is Pie Ranch--where, in addition to many other farm products, wheat and many varieties of berries are grown to make and sell their namesake desserts.

The author serves us politics with a passion, which occasionally degenerates into pontification. An example:

When you work to create a more equitable and sustainable food system, as you do when you join a CSA or other form of buying direct from farmers, you inevitably become an activist--an activist for a new type of food system, one that does not enslave poeple or commodify or pollute the Earth, so that future generations too may enjoy this ethical and healthful eating.

Although I think Farmer Jane lacks a storytelling quality which might make it more inspirational, it is a wonderful reference for anyone interested in the many ways that women are positively effecting the food landscape. So even if after reading Farmer Jane you don't become an activist, this book may help you to reflect on your personal food habits and values. It just might also encourage more of us to join together to collaborate and create more healthy eating opportunities. Bon Appetit!

by Barbara L. Heller

for Story Circle Book Reviews

reviewing books by, for, and about women

This book is OK, but not what I was expecting. Basically a series of essays about various women doing various things agriculturally in America. Most of them, however, didn't actually seem to be farmers. Social workers, activists, people doing noble things and leading the sort of lives that just reading about makes me exhausted...but not so much with the farming. A very good book, well written, interesting, better for social activists, though, than farmers.

Owning a produce business I very much enjoyed this book. It's thought is along the line of being good to our earth and food and family. A good read for a beginner or an expert. I will pick it up often and read an excerpt for encouragement. Great read for both female and male.

This book is so inspiring! I'm not a farmer, but Temra Costa has convinced me that there's a lot I can still do to change the way we eat for the better. Since reading this book, I've committed to buying local, I've started growing my own organic food, and I plan to visit the farmer's market every week. I've also started thinking about what I can do to help provide organic produce to low-income families in my neighborhood. Thank you, Temra Costa, for this powerful, inspirational book!

Farmer Jane is full of Heros. It really tapped into the passions of woman. I loved hearing about thier farms & biz operations.

It made me realize that i am at least 3 generations away from my farming ancestors. Farmers dont have to come from farming backgrounds,& we can all grow food in our rural or urban space.

Buy this book for your Daughter.

Costa's intimate portraits of these earth-changing women is a must-read for anyone interested in local food, sustainable agriculture, and creating a brighter future. The profiles take us up close in to the lives of a unique set of characters, share their successes and pain, and highlight how we can all make a difference. Buy this book and read any chapter for a sip of inspiration!

This book is excellent for the average person (like myself) that doesn't know everything there is to know about organic farming and the foods we eat. I never have the time to keep up on this constantly changing environment so this book was a pleasant surprise. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for insight into the foods that we eat every day.

This is a must read for anyone interested in the sustainable ag movement. It is a wonderfully written book which highlights some of the nations most inspiring women who are changing the way we eat.

I'm and organic farmer and looked forward to this book I attened the launch in Berkerley,CA. While I was really surprized at this opening,when Temra spoke she keep telling the people in the back of the group to shut up while she spoke. This was a party to launch a book people talk loud in a crowed space. So I put her I'm all important personality aside and read the book... What a waste of time. Her writing is part romance, text book and leveraging from already know facts. So I let some of the women and men around my farm read the book, most did not want to even finish the book.

This is a book that should be broken into articles in a mag or posted on the Green 960 radio web site.

BTW the Nettle flatbread and faro stuff lettuce leaves where great at the opening

My suggestion is take your money an donate it to your local community garden, animal shelter or food bank.