Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you're a typical city/suburban resident like myself who has purchased "organic" vegetables at the standard grocery store only to find they were a total waste of money, this book explains why. Terra enlightens the non-farmer with incredible detail, yet in a manner that makes the reading pure pleasure. The Brockmans are clearly a highly intellectual family who fore go the city life for the simple life. A life of hard work, but more rewards than most of us can imagine. It's such a pleasure to read, the fact that you are learning about farming is truly secondary to the story.

After spending most of my summer buying Henry's produce and Teresa's fruits and herbs, I was thrilled to be able to attend their annual Potluck and Tour in early October. While I was there, I picked up a copy of this book, and have not put it down since. I'm on my third reading, and it's become my way to soothe my mind before heading off to slumber.

The quality of Henry's produce is nearly unmatched - and certainly anything I've had in the past pales in comparison. Seeing the farm offered one perspective; reading about it brought an entirely new one. Terra is a remarkably gifted writer, bringing the farm and all that comes with it to life. Even though I only saw a small portion of the farm, I have such a vivid mental image of nearly everything she writes of, from the fields to the truck to the dogs who guard the crops.

Reading through the book gives such newfound appreciation for the Brockman family, Matt, and all the apprentices. To see their work and passion brought to life was truly an inspiration, and nearly enough to make me want to spend a summer on a farm.

Not only is the subject matter incredibly relevant - sustainable living and local produce - but Terra Brockman manages to write in a very engaging way. Were this not a book with such a personal angle for her, I feel that her writing skills would still make for an interesting read.

It's an informative book which also has the occasional humorous anecdote - I'm thinking specifically of the geese that had reached sexual maturity and how the farm had to deal with it!

There are always farming and vegetable gardening books on my headboard. I inhale them. While I rarely abandon one unfinished, there are definite stand outs in the dozens of histories, personal or family stories and farming politics that i have read. This book shot right to the top, with its evocative prose bringing the rhythms and hard work of the farming life into a clear and beautiful picture. I admit to favoring it partly because the authors ethics are right in line with mine. I loved the historical and literary references and found a wealth of information, ideas and inspiration to add to my 30 years of food growing.

I wouldn't call this a real page turner, but I read "The Seasons on Henry's Farm" straight through. If you want to know how an organic, small-scale family run farm functions, this book includes everything. If you are thinking of working on or starting up a farm I recommend this book; if not, I recommend it anyway as a way to understand where your farmer's market food comes from. Really an enjoyable book, also includes some great recipes.

What a beautiful love poem to Terra has written about her family and The Land on which they farm. And how generous of her to share a bit of the inside goings-on with the rest of us. The reality and lyricism of her book, coupled with my own fleeting knowledge of The Land and her family, coupled to make reading the book a transcendent experience.

I also love the physicality of the book itself--the smoothness (but not glossiness) of the paper, and the beautiful, sharp photography and elegant drawings by Henry's wife. The structure and organization are also so natural and befitting of the weeks and months and seasons to which all farming is inevitably tethered. I have always felt honored to have known the Brockman family--even just tangentially. Terra's book chronicles the special legacy her father, Herman, has bequeathed to his children and grandchildren and beyond, and Terra has returned the favor with this loving book.

I am going to buy a copy of your book for one of my favorite organic farmers in Chapel Hill, NC. I recommend this book to anyone who cares about the food he eats, the planet on which we live, and the people who provide our sustenance.

I'm so intrigued by how the entire book was woven around a skeleton formed by several dimensions of time: seasons, crops, generations, and human mortality. The element of time was suggested by everything about the book -- the photos, Hiroko's beautiful pen-and-ink drawings, the nature of the recipes, the inclusion of bits from the various generations. I was always aware of time, which gave the book -- or at least this reader -- a sense of urgency, an awareness of the passage of time, assuaged by a comforting reminder of the circle of immortality, the timelessness of the Earth. This book made me want to DO.

I loved the interspersing of different styles. A description of planting garlic leads naturally to the recipe for "Pockets full of garlic soup", and thence to musings about the importance of timing, overlayered with rueful complaints about aching, aging knees in contrast to those of Kazami, "a compact, curly-headed, 13-year-old package of fearless life force hurtling down the hillside on a blur of bicycle". Later, scholarly discussions of the enduring dangers of chemical fertilizers (the author's father is an environmental geneticist) are woven into an attempt to capture the meaning of wabi-sabi, a Japanese Zen concept that the author relates to rural community life, thanking the hens for their eggs, and macabre stories told to grandchildren to make them behave.

This is a particularly good book to give as a gift. It is wonderful to use for morning meditations (especially since it's laid out chronologically over a year). It's very funny, and thoughtful, and loving. I've given this book to many, and treasure my own.

Terra Brockman's book sings like a beautiful musical instrument. And with each re-reading, the depth of the music, becomes more apparent. Pour a glass of wine, turn your iPod off and savor this beautiful book. Now on my third time through, I am reading a paragraph at a time, pausing, reflecting, sometimes laughing and sometimes wiping a tear away. In an age when our heroes fall from grace, we find a new hero in Henry and in his farm and in the cast of characters that work with him. Henry makes me want to work hard, be productive, bring value to others. For anyone seriously interested in farming or organic gardening this is a text book. I have pages of notes about different herbs, fruits and vegetables and can hardly wait until the seed catalogs arrive in the winter, little did I ever imagine until I read this book that they could be erotic. That alone should entice you to read Terra's book! Occasionally, I run across a book that is meaningful, funny, informative and profound. I hope I can inspire just one person who might be reading reviews to give this book a try. Enjoy the music! And thanks Terra, you have touched a heart.

Although I live in SC and have never visited the farm, this book enabled me to vicariously work at Henry's Farm. I love the specific, day-to-day format, and the end of this book came much too soon. I hope there's a sequel!

I was so sad to finish 'week 52' and come to the last page of Terra's book! The Brockman Family has such deep reverence for the earth that they protect through their methods which honor all of nature and its rhythms. I have met Henry on visits to Evanston and have been struck by his 'presence' which emits a deep serenity and joy. I was disappointed that there was not a good picture of Henry to share this essence with the readers. Someone should also take a picture of his hands......they tell a story of their own! I found it to serve as an evening meditation which sent me to slumber with a deep sense of peace and awareness of what it is all about and grateful for farmers like the Brockman's who are dedicated to growing the best to feed the world. Thank you Terra for sharing yourself and your family with us and spreading the joy that you plant with every seed!