Customer Reviews

Nature's Second Chance: Restoring the Ecology of Stone Prairie Farm

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First full disclosure: I have known Steve Apfelbaum and Susan Lehnhardt for ten years. I have visited the farm several times, shared meals, walks with Max, and kicked back to enjoy the critters flitting and chirping around the screened porch. We have been birding together and Steve is awesome - counting 50 species in as many minutes. When I exclaim my awe Susan laughs and says, "He just makes them up!" We have great times together and every time I learn an incredible amount from both of them. Now comes my review.

Reminiscent of an outback walkabout this story of an urban academic in search of a personal connection with the Nature he studied hits the mark. The author shares his journey as a son who needs his Mother's help to buy a run down place in the country, as a lonesome stranger among farmers with different values, as a life partner in a loving relationship devoted to land stewardship and parenting, and as an entrepreneur able to make his passions his work. Indeed one of his burning passions almost burned down his neighbor's farm!

Apfelbaum's words flow like the creek he restored, letting us share each season's charm as birds come and go, frogs and toads holler mating frenzies, wild flowers bloom and invasive weeds vex. Mixing love, ethics, struggle and inspiration this book restores us while telling the story of saving the space around us. Even his neighboring farmers begin to see value in a "weedy mess."
I like the book so much I am publishing my first book review.

An excellent and inspirational story of the author's 30 year quest to restore the ecology of his farm. He also includes an intriguing glimpse of a future, where ecological restoration and economic gains go hand-in-hand.

There's so much magic and mirth in this book that I was blindsided by its eloquence and beauty. As a restoration ecologist, Apfelbaum clearly loves what he does and embraces his mission to revive the lands within his stewardship. Having burned prairies many times and watched for majestic cranes overhead, I can tell you what he professes works. It's not only good for the land, it's good for us. We ignore his advice at our peril. This book is clearly in keeping with the spirit of Aldo Leopold and John Muir. Each chapter brought forth the splendor of another new season, the travails of remodeling and the grace of seeing native species return to a devastated landscape. No matter where you live, you will be able to appreciate the message of this timeless book. John Wasik, author, "The Cul-de-Sac Syndrome: Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream."

I wanted to go out and buy land to restore after reading this book, well, I did before that too, but this book made me think I could actually do it...if only I had the capital!

I will premise this review by saying that I know Steve and have worked with him and Susan on a few projects in NY. Having said that though I feel that I am not biased in assessing his work. This book presents a great story of turning your dreams and plans into a reality. Steve's restoration work at his farm and elsewhere sets a good model and example of what could be if people put the effort in. I think he could have focused more on the actual methods used for restoration, but all in all this book is a great read and should become a staple in any ecologists library.

Urban dwellers, far removed from arable land, are pleased that food is relatively affordable. Many of us are also proud that we grow enough food to feed the world. That this efficient food chain abuses the earth concerns too few people. When we are informed that this process is clearly unfriendly to nature, we cannot imagine why anyone would choose to turn back the clock on successful agricultural history.

The author of this book leads us to reconsider our position on this subject by describing the toll that agro processing exacts from the earth. In doing so, he politely sets the stage for a controversial debate.

So much time and space has been devoted by the media to the deterioration of our environment. We are continuously being reminded about global warming, pollution, the need to find alternate renewable sources of energy and the importance of securing reliable sources of potable water. Yet, very little attention is paid to the importance of restoring land abused by agricultural overuse, mining, forestry and landfills. The author reminds us that we are the original stewards of our planet and that it is our responsibility to pass on this earth to subsequent generations in good stead.

Steven Apfelbaum is an ecologist and educator. His specialty is natural resource conservation which is an ecological restorative process of nurturing wild plants and animal communities back to health. Restoration is, in essence, the act of putting back into the land what has been taken out of it. This book documents his personal experience in restoring overworked farmland.

Reading about his successful land restoration, it becomes clear that there is sheer delight to be found in recreating a natural preserve. The sense of accomplishment that he derives from his work is also shared by his family and admirers. The goal of this dedicated ecologist is not only to inspire others to restore parts of their own land but also to see restored patches of reclaimed land interconnected across the mid western U.S.A. in order to create a vast stretch of a renewed ecosystem.

There is nothing ostensibly controversial in writing about one's passion. Indeed, advocating the restoration of abused farmland is an admirable endeavor. And yet, this sincere desire to heal parts of our planet is a reminder that we have deliberately chosen to abuse too many portions of it in order to efficiently feed the world. How powerful is the written word that a noble conviction, by its mere publication, can become a veiled but valid critique of an essential part of our food chain. So, no matter what you may have read to the contrary, reading a book still remains a thrilling, mind expanding, experience. Allan Becker reviews books on gardening for [...]