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One Size Fits None: A Farm Girl's Search for the Promise of Regenerative Agriculture
“Sustainable” has long been the rallying cry of agricultural progressives; given that much of our nation’s farm and ranch land is already degraded, however, sustainable agriculture often means maintaining a less-than-ideal status quo. Industrial agriculture has also co-opted the term for marketing purposes without implementing better practices. Stephanie Anderson argues that in order to provide nutrient-rich food and fight climate change, we need to move beyond sustainable to regenerative agriculture, a practice that is highly tailored to local environments and renews resources.
In One Size Fits None Anderson follows diverse farmers across the United States: a South Dakota bison rancher who provides an alternative to the industrial feedlot; an organic vegetable farmer in Florida who harvests microgreens; a New Mexico super-small farmer who revitalizes communities; and a North Dakota midsize farmer who combines livestock and grain farming to convert expensive farmland back to native prairie. The use of these nontraditional agricultural techniques show how varied operations can give back to the earth rather than degrade it. This book will resonate with anyone concerned about the future of food in America, providing guidance for creating a better, regenerative agricultural future.
In One Size Fits None Anderson follows diverse farmers across the United States: a South Dakota bison rancher who provides an alternative to the industrial feedlot; an organic vegetable farmer in Florida who harvests microgreens; a New Mexico super-small farmer who revitalizes communities; and a North Dakota midsize farmer who combines livestock and grain farming to convert expensive farmland back to native prairie. The use of these nontraditional agricultural techniques show how varied operations can give back to the earth rather than degrade it. This book will resonate with anyone concerned about the future of food in America, providing guidance for creating a better, regenerative agricultural future.
312 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2019
22 people are currently reading
389 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Anderson
3 books6 followersStephanie Anderson's debut nonfiction book, One Size Fits None: A Farm Girl's Search for the Promise of Regenerative Agriculture, was released in January 2019 with University of Nebraska Press. The book won a 2019 Midwest Book Award (Nature) and a 2020 Nautilus Book Award (Green Living and Sustainability; silver), and it was one of three finalists for the 2020 High Plains Book Award in Nonfiction. Stephanie is the winner of the 2020 Margolis Award for nonfiction writers of social justice journalism and a 2021 Nonfiction Award from the Barbara Deming Money for Women Fund. Her second book on regenerative agriculture, From the Ground Up: The Women Revolutionizing Regenerative Agriculture, is forthcoming with The New Press in November 2024.
Stephanie's essays and short stories have appeared in The Rumpus, TriQuarterly, Flyway, The Pinch, Hotel Amerika, Midwestern Gothic, The Chronicle Review, Sweet, and many others. Her essays were included on the notable lists in Pushcart Prize Best of the Small Presses (2022 and 2023), The Best American Essays 2020 and The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2020. Her essay "Disturbance" won the 2022 Ninth Letter/Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative Regeneration Literary Contest.
She also contributed to the essay collection Permanent Vacation: Eighteen Writers on Work and Life in Our National Parks, Vol. 2 from Bona Fide Books. Her essay "Greyhound" won the 2016 Payton James Freeman Essay Prize from The Rumpus, Drake University, and the Freeman family. Her short story "The Wickedest Thing They Ever Saw" was a finalist for the 2014 Devil's Lake Annual Driftless Prize in Fiction.
Stephanie holds an MFA in creative nonfiction (2015) from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL, and a bachelor’s degree in English (2009) from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD. She serves as Assistant Professor of Creative Nonfiction in FAU's English Department beginning fall 2024. She has also taught workshops in fiction, poetry, and memoir at FAU's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Stephanie is co-editor of University of Nebraska Press' Our Regenerative Future book series.
In the past, Stephanie has worked as a writer and photographer for the humanitarian aid organization Cross International, traveling to developing countries to gather personal stories from aid recipients. She also served as special sections editor for Tri-State Neighbor, an agricultural newspaper in South Dakota.
Stephanie works primarily in literary journalism, narrative nonfiction, and literary fiction. Having grown up on her family's ranch in South Dakota, she often focuses on rural life, agriculture, food, the environment, personal relationships, and animals in her writing. Stephanie resides in South Florida with her husband, Ryan, and Italian greyhound Augie.
Stephanie's essays and short stories have appeared in The Rumpus, TriQuarterly, Flyway, The Pinch, Hotel Amerika, Midwestern Gothic, The Chronicle Review, Sweet, and many others. Her essays were included on the notable lists in Pushcart Prize Best of the Small Presses (2022 and 2023), The Best American Essays 2020 and The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2020. Her essay "Disturbance" won the 2022 Ninth Letter/Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative Regeneration Literary Contest.
She also contributed to the essay collection Permanent Vacation: Eighteen Writers on Work and Life in Our National Parks, Vol. 2 from Bona Fide Books. Her essay "Greyhound" won the 2016 Payton James Freeman Essay Prize from The Rumpus, Drake University, and the Freeman family. Her short story "The Wickedest Thing They Ever Saw" was a finalist for the 2014 Devil's Lake Annual Driftless Prize in Fiction.
Stephanie holds an MFA in creative nonfiction (2015) from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL, and a bachelor’s degree in English (2009) from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD. She serves as Assistant Professor of Creative Nonfiction in FAU's English Department beginning fall 2024. She has also taught workshops in fiction, poetry, and memoir at FAU's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Stephanie is co-editor of University of Nebraska Press' Our Regenerative Future book series.
In the past, Stephanie has worked as a writer and photographer for the humanitarian aid organization Cross International, traveling to developing countries to gather personal stories from aid recipients. She also served as special sections editor for Tri-State Neighbor, an agricultural newspaper in South Dakota.
Stephanie works primarily in literary journalism, narrative nonfiction, and literary fiction. Having grown up on her family's ranch in South Dakota, she often focuses on rural life, agriculture, food, the environment, personal relationships, and animals in her writing. Stephanie resides in South Florida with her husband, Ryan, and Italian greyhound Augie.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 25, 2019
I requested and was granted a review copy of this from the publisher The University of Nebraska Press through NetGalley.
I fear that Ms. Anderson's book will be lost and essentially unread. Yes, it was only published in January 2019, but as of this writing, I found only one other review on Goodreads and three non-review ratings; the same review is cross-posted on Amazon (and it is the only rating there); even NetGalley has only one other review; and a handful of blog posts. More's the pity because there is an important, even vital message here. Ms. Anderson looked at "conventional" agriculture, holistic regenerative agriculture, organic regenerative, and lastly (in the book) diversified regenerative agriculture, arranging the four investigations into those four parts. She grew up on a conventional ranch in South Dakota, disagrees now with her father on pretty much everything agricultural (still "pals" but they don't talk about it), knows that "most conventional farmers and ranchers are good people trapped in a bad system", admits in her first journalist job out of college for a Sioux Falls, South Dakota farm-and-ranch newspaper that she was "twenty-one and naive, ..., born and bred to believe American agriculture was sacred." That's an all-too-common tragedy...thinking that American anything is sacred...but she went on a quest to find out if her family's ranch - and all American agriculture by extension - had a place in a better agriculture future.
In Conventional, Ms. Anderson looks at how we got where we are; the struggles of the small farmers/ranchers; the industrialization, gigantism, and specialization of the business; the effects of chemicals and the methods on the products and land; the devastating effects of conventional agriculture on soils and the environment; the unfortunate need for subsidies for the business to survive. It was all about "conquering" the land, a common theme for Euro-westerners. Conventional farming actually loses jobs...as farming and ranching become more industrialized, more chemical, more automated and remote, fewer eyes and hands are needed. And despite what some vocal minorities would have you believe, the lion's share of the workers who do remain for the non-mechanical harvesting and handling are not corn-fed farmers but largely Hispanic because according to Ryan Roth, a Florida farmer, "All of these jobs Americans don't want to do." Further hurting the entire system is the fact that conventional farmers cannot set their own prices for produce and livestock. Still, there are "good people" trapped in that system who are trying to be better stewards.
In Holistic Regenerative, Anderson looks at methods of management that are operational and holistic because they take into account the whole ecosystem - "soil, plants, insects, grazers, wildlife, people" - in order to stop and hopefully reverse desertification. She also examines the standard delivery process of CAFO - concentrated animal feeding operations - confining animals for a period of time, jamming grains to "fatten" them up before slaughter. If "grass fed" has taught anything, it's that the grain-fed crap we get in the meat market sections is horrible (my words, more or less...but she covers it all...and don't be fooled into thinking "organic" is not CAFO'd). The part on holistic regenerative gives hope, but there are still too many big business, capitalistic drivers opposing intelligent farming/ranching and conventional farming. Worse, too many industrial lobbyists have helped thirteen states as of the publication to adopt food disparagement laws that make criticizing food products illegal - and if that is not a huge WTF? I don't know what is. So a step in the right direction is to consider the whole and not the parts, or the end.
Organic Regenerative takes the holistic lessons to the next level, but it is not without problems, and consumers should be wary...Phil Jerde, of Great Plains Buffalo says that the organic rules were watered down significantly; organic rules have significant loopholes: parasiticides are allowed in breeding stock if preventative measures fail. Ms. Anderson correctly notes the abuse of the environment is a consequence of the Judeo-Christian "dominion narrative". "Human authority over the natural world sanctioned by God - a license for destruction." It's a common Western thought. Organic is more than using natural means to control insect and herbivorous pests - it generally gives the farmer/rancher a small measure of control over the market, sometimes selling directly to consumers and setting their own prices, while providing a fresher and tastier product. Even though organic has gained traction, people know that organic foods taste better and are more nutritious, there is still the underlying social acceptance of "conventional" agriculture. The problem there is that "conventional sounds right, but in reality, it isn't...it is a recent (150+ years) perversion of true conventional agriculture that allowed for natural sustainability of the environment. Rodale Institute has conducted a continuing study since 1981 on conventional versus organic to look at agribusiness claims that industrialization was the only way to produce enough food for the future. The side-by-side evaluation has shown and continues to show that organic consistently has comparable or higher yields than conventional, so that argument fails. The advantage of Rodale's study is its long-term nature...single studies are snapshots. Rodale's 2011 summary states
Ms. Anderson's last part considers a Diversified Regenerative that disrupts the system for what practitioners believe is a necessary and positive effect. Changing products raised and delivered is not what a ...conventional ... consumer wants; it's not convenient, and people are not usually open to new things. But it has tremendous effects on regenerating soils. It's not rotating crops, which just continues to eat the soils, just more slowly. Increased natural soil ventilation by earthworms is possible by eliminating pesticides and synthetic nitrogen sources. Laying down ground cover crops for wildlife to eat, naturally till with hooves, fertilize (natural nitrogen), actually helps food crops to yield more thanks to increased organic matter levels.
I've done a poor job shotgunning my notes and summaries. There is real value in this as I said in the beginning, I fear it will be largely unseen. Even those who are aware feel it is too late. The "midsize farms are too big to retail products at most farmers' markets, but too small to compete in the highly consolidated commodity markets." The well-chosen title is important to come back to: one size certainly does not fit all, and the chosen one size of "conventional truly fits none.
I fear that Ms. Anderson's book will be lost and essentially unread. Yes, it was only published in January 2019, but as of this writing, I found only one other review on Goodreads and three non-review ratings; the same review is cross-posted on Amazon (and it is the only rating there); even NetGalley has only one other review; and a handful of blog posts. More's the pity because there is an important, even vital message here. Ms. Anderson looked at "conventional" agriculture, holistic regenerative agriculture, organic regenerative, and lastly (in the book) diversified regenerative agriculture, arranging the four investigations into those four parts. She grew up on a conventional ranch in South Dakota, disagrees now with her father on pretty much everything agricultural (still "pals" but they don't talk about it), knows that "most conventional farmers and ranchers are good people trapped in a bad system", admits in her first journalist job out of college for a Sioux Falls, South Dakota farm-and-ranch newspaper that she was "twenty-one and naive, ..., born and bred to believe American agriculture was sacred." That's an all-too-common tragedy...thinking that American anything is sacred...but she went on a quest to find out if her family's ranch - and all American agriculture by extension - had a place in a better agriculture future.
In Conventional, Ms. Anderson looks at how we got where we are; the struggles of the small farmers/ranchers; the industrialization, gigantism, and specialization of the business; the effects of chemicals and the methods on the products and land; the devastating effects of conventional agriculture on soils and the environment; the unfortunate need for subsidies for the business to survive. It was all about "conquering" the land, a common theme for Euro-westerners. Conventional farming actually loses jobs...as farming and ranching become more industrialized, more chemical, more automated and remote, fewer eyes and hands are needed. And despite what some vocal minorities would have you believe, the lion's share of the workers who do remain for the non-mechanical harvesting and handling are not corn-fed farmers but largely Hispanic because according to Ryan Roth, a Florida farmer, "All of these jobs Americans don't want to do." Further hurting the entire system is the fact that conventional farmers cannot set their own prices for produce and livestock. Still, there are "good people" trapped in that system who are trying to be better stewards.
In Holistic Regenerative, Anderson looks at methods of management that are operational and holistic because they take into account the whole ecosystem - "soil, plants, insects, grazers, wildlife, people" - in order to stop and hopefully reverse desertification. She also examines the standard delivery process of CAFO - concentrated animal feeding operations - confining animals for a period of time, jamming grains to "fatten" them up before slaughter. If "grass fed" has taught anything, it's that the grain-fed crap we get in the meat market sections is horrible (my words, more or less...but she covers it all...and don't be fooled into thinking "organic" is not CAFO'd). The part on holistic regenerative gives hope, but there are still too many big business, capitalistic drivers opposing intelligent farming/ranching and conventional farming. Worse, too many industrial lobbyists have helped thirteen states as of the publication to adopt food disparagement laws that make criticizing food products illegal - and if that is not a huge WTF? I don't know what is. So a step in the right direction is to consider the whole and not the parts, or the end.
Organic Regenerative takes the holistic lessons to the next level, but it is not without problems, and consumers should be wary...Phil Jerde, of Great Plains Buffalo says that the organic rules were watered down significantly; organic rules have significant loopholes: parasiticides are allowed in breeding stock if preventative measures fail. Ms. Anderson correctly notes the abuse of the environment is a consequence of the Judeo-Christian "dominion narrative". "Human authority over the natural world sanctioned by God - a license for destruction." It's a common Western thought. Organic is more than using natural means to control insect and herbivorous pests - it generally gives the farmer/rancher a small measure of control over the market, sometimes selling directly to consumers and setting their own prices, while providing a fresher and tastier product. Even though organic has gained traction, people know that organic foods taste better and are more nutritious, there is still the underlying social acceptance of "conventional" agriculture. The problem there is that "conventional sounds right, but in reality, it isn't...it is a recent (150+ years) perversion of true conventional agriculture that allowed for natural sustainability of the environment. Rodale Institute has conducted a continuing study since 1981 on conventional versus organic to look at agribusiness claims that industrialization was the only way to produce enough food for the future. The side-by-side evaluation has shown and continues to show that organic consistently has comparable or higher yields than conventional, so that argument fails. The advantage of Rodale's study is its long-term nature...single studies are snapshots. Rodale's 2011 summary states
After thirty years of a rigorous side-by-side comparison, the Rodale Institute confidently concludes organic methods are improving the quality of our food, improving the health of our soils and water, and improving our nation's rural areas. Organic agriculture is creating more jobs, providing a livable income for farmers, and restoring America's confidence in our farming community and food system.
Ms. Anderson's last part considers a Diversified Regenerative that disrupts the system for what practitioners believe is a necessary and positive effect. Changing products raised and delivered is not what a ...conventional ... consumer wants; it's not convenient, and people are not usually open to new things. But it has tremendous effects on regenerating soils. It's not rotating crops, which just continues to eat the soils, just more slowly. Increased natural soil ventilation by earthworms is possible by eliminating pesticides and synthetic nitrogen sources. Laying down ground cover crops for wildlife to eat, naturally till with hooves, fertilize (natural nitrogen), actually helps food crops to yield more thanks to increased organic matter levels.
I've done a poor job shotgunning my notes and summaries. There is real value in this as I said in the beginning, I fear it will be largely unseen. Even those who are aware feel it is too late. The "midsize farms are too big to retail products at most farmers' markets, but too small to compete in the highly consolidated commodity markets." The well-chosen title is important to come back to: one size certainly does not fit all, and the chosen one size of "conventional truly fits none.
June 24, 2019
Not a book I’d normally pick up but once I got into it, I read 150 pages in 2 days and I’m now contemplating my habits as a consumer.
August 18, 2019
I was assigned this book for summer reading for my upcoming freshman year at Miami University. Otherwise, I would not have picked it up myself because nonfiction isn’t my favorite genre. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with every nonfiction book I’ve read, and this book is no exception. It addresses the seemingly endless issues with conventional farming and gives multiple examples of how to handle them. While the prose she uses isn’t my favorite, it’s not poorly written in any way, and her connection to her own childhood enhances the book and adds more color to some of the bleak (but oftentimes surprising) statistics in the book. Overall this book has made me reconsider a lot of what my diet consists of and more cautious about what I buy. Can’t wait to hear Stephanie Anderson speak about it at Miami and to discuss it with those of my classmates who read it!
Read
August 23, 2019This was very repetitive
September 15, 2019
I found this book completely and utterly fascinating- Stephanie’s voice is calm, reasoned and intelligent. I was completely drawn into the subject and it has definitely encouraged me to read more into the subject- the brown revolution needs to happen, just like the plastic revolution has.
Anyone who grows food or eats food (and has enough economic flexibility to make decisions on what they buy and where it is from) should read this book.
Anyone who grows food or eats food (and has enough economic flexibility to make decisions on what they buy and where it is from) should read this book.
August 22, 2019
this book drags conventional farming for its improper treatment of the environment and I’m here for it
January 14, 2020
I, too, heard of and was introduced to this book as a member of the Miami University community. I borrowed it from a friend and I couldn’t be more glad that I did — as somebody studying in the sustainability and environmental earth science fields, I felt silly and maybe even guilty for not being more aware of how conventional agriculture is destroying not only our environment, but also our health AND our farmers. After reading, I feel even more compelled to use my dollar (and my vote) to support regenerative agriculture and a sustainable future! Anderson did an excellent job of writing in a way that was engaging and not over my head — unfamiliar terms were defined, and as it turns out, many conventional farmers (the majority of farmers, as it is today) are likely not familiar with them either. What I thought would be a ‘boring’ read was actually very fascinating, and I’ll be taking a closer look at what I choose to consume — especially produce — from here on out. Read!
January 13, 2019
I just finished Stephanie Anderson’s new book, One Size Fits None. This book is an eye-opener into what could and should be the new future of agriculture--sustainable, in sync with nature, organic. This book is a very easy read, and is for anyone, not only farmers and ranchers. The language is conversational. The people interviewed are engaging and they come to life through the words on the page. Our food buying choices in the future will be guided by our support for sustainable agriculture. Thank you Ms. Anderson for reminding me of the beauty of nature that can be found in food producing and which can be forgotten with the prevalence of corporate farming in America. Healthy food, clean water, and air we can breathe should be at the top of our national priorities.
April 6, 2023
(I had to read this book as required reading for college)
While this did take me a while to get through, I still found the message and information within “One Size Fits None” to be very important. Some details/sentences felt unnecessary in a few places, and certain stories/parts definitely interested me more than others. Huge kudos to Stephanie Anderson for doing extensive research and unapologetically exposing Big Ag/Big Businesses as the shitheads they are.
While this did take me a while to get through, I still found the message and information within “One Size Fits None” to be very important. Some details/sentences felt unnecessary in a few places, and certain stories/parts definitely interested me more than others. Huge kudos to Stephanie Anderson for doing extensive research and unapologetically exposing Big Ag/Big Businesses as the shitheads they are.
April 22, 2019
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
One Size Fits None is an exposition on agriculture and specifically what we as a society can do to change our systems and to what degree we can reverse the damage we've wrought to our biome. Author Stephanie Anderson grew up on a traditional midwest farm and began to question the agricultural production models during and after her college education. She makes a compelling case for the idea that not only is a sustainable paradigm necessary, we absolutely must also make changes to repair and compensate for previous damage by farming regeneratively.
Released 1st January 2019 by the University of Nebraska press, it's 312 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.
The book is split into four main sections. The first section describes and provides insights into the traditional large-scale agricultural model. Farms are 'factories' producing generally one or two specialized crops at maximum speed and volume. The farms are run on such a huge scale that mechanized production is a necessity and sowing, weeding, maintenance and harvesting rely on large industrial machinery. Soil fertility and crop production are dependent on artificially applied chemical fertilizers which leads to decreased soil function which in turn increases reliance on more inorganic fertilizers. The author makes a compelling argument for the unsustainability of the treadmill that is the current system of agriculture. The question, then, is how to make a change.
The second section deals with a shift in paradigm to a regenerative holistic system. The model she discusses in the book is based on buffalo and other large herbivores grazing grassland in the midwest USA. The studies she cites showed an increase of soil health and plant diversity when organic methods are utilized which allows for a more complete cycle, since the insects and birds aren't killed off by using pesticides. I enjoyed reading about the farmer documenting the insect activity of the poop left by the buffalo (dung beetles process and drag the nutrients from the poo into the soil where it continues the cycle).
The third section of the book covers plant based organic methods of food production. I enjoyed the way the author writes about the farmers she profiles in the book. There is an emphasis on their methods, true, but she manages to emphasize their creativity, problem solving, and humanity at the same time.
The fourth section of the book brings the second and third together with a balanced smallholding model which incorporates both animals and plants in a cohesive whole. There is a common catchphrase in agriculture today 'Get big or get out'! This book makes a very compelling case why that is absolutely the wrong model if we want to repair the catastrophic damage we've done to the planet we all call home.
Even for people who aren't directly interested in engaging directly in food production, educating ourselves about food security and diversity is critically important now, before it's too late.
This book provides a wealth of further reading in the bibliography.
I remember reading Silent Spring decades ago and being absolutely electrified. This book gives me the same feeling. This is a very important book.
Five stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
One Size Fits None is an exposition on agriculture and specifically what we as a society can do to change our systems and to what degree we can reverse the damage we've wrought to our biome. Author Stephanie Anderson grew up on a traditional midwest farm and began to question the agricultural production models during and after her college education. She makes a compelling case for the idea that not only is a sustainable paradigm necessary, we absolutely must also make changes to repair and compensate for previous damage by farming regeneratively.
Released 1st January 2019 by the University of Nebraska press, it's 312 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.
The book is split into four main sections. The first section describes and provides insights into the traditional large-scale agricultural model. Farms are 'factories' producing generally one or two specialized crops at maximum speed and volume. The farms are run on such a huge scale that mechanized production is a necessity and sowing, weeding, maintenance and harvesting rely on large industrial machinery. Soil fertility and crop production are dependent on artificially applied chemical fertilizers which leads to decreased soil function which in turn increases reliance on more inorganic fertilizers. The author makes a compelling argument for the unsustainability of the treadmill that is the current system of agriculture. The question, then, is how to make a change.
The second section deals with a shift in paradigm to a regenerative holistic system. The model she discusses in the book is based on buffalo and other large herbivores grazing grassland in the midwest USA. The studies she cites showed an increase of soil health and plant diversity when organic methods are utilized which allows for a more complete cycle, since the insects and birds aren't killed off by using pesticides. I enjoyed reading about the farmer documenting the insect activity of the poop left by the buffalo (dung beetles process and drag the nutrients from the poo into the soil where it continues the cycle).
The third section of the book covers plant based organic methods of food production. I enjoyed the way the author writes about the farmers she profiles in the book. There is an emphasis on their methods, true, but she manages to emphasize their creativity, problem solving, and humanity at the same time.
The fourth section of the book brings the second and third together with a balanced smallholding model which incorporates both animals and plants in a cohesive whole. There is a common catchphrase in agriculture today 'Get big or get out'! This book makes a very compelling case why that is absolutely the wrong model if we want to repair the catastrophic damage we've done to the planet we all call home.
Even for people who aren't directly interested in engaging directly in food production, educating ourselves about food security and diversity is critically important now, before it's too late.
This book provides a wealth of further reading in the bibliography.
I remember reading Silent Spring decades ago and being absolutely electrified. This book gives me the same feeling. This is a very important book.
Five stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
October 9, 2020
I really enjoyed this clear, easy-to-read look at modern agriculture and the people who are working to change it. I read this because it was on my university's fall common book reading list (trying to narrow down books that might suit as a common book), and I think I'll recommend it for moving forward. It's an easy read in terms of clear language, and it ties into SO many different disciplines - there was business, biology, sustainability, political science, philosophy, English, etc. all in this one book, so a lot of different classes could find a hook into it. I also think it's a VERY different look at farming than most Ohioan kids would have gotten, and a valuable one, one that challenges the conventional paradigm. I see this one as a potential for moving forward, but we'll see if anyone else on the committee agrees with me. :-) At the very least, I am grateful for having the opportunity to read it; I'm deeply interested in food politics/food culture/American agriculture, and this book gave me a lot to ponder.
(Yes, I am using Goodreads as my notes on books for the committee; apologies to anyone who wanted a different sort of review on this book.)
(Yes, I am using Goodreads as my notes on books for the committee; apologies to anyone who wanted a different sort of review on this book.)
August 4, 2020
Written in a tradition similar to Carson's "Silent Spring" and Douglas' "The Everglades: Rivers of Grass," readers accompany Anderson on her journey across the agricultural spectrum, critically analyzing the benefits and drawbacks of each unique system. For those of us with an interest in this conversation and no physical farming experience, Anderson's book serves as an exemplary introduction to a surprising number of unique farming methods. Each of these methods serves a specific set of challenges, which are determined by the ethical, social, economic, physical, local, or global circumstances of the farm (and by extension, the farmer). Anderson's narrative manages to toggle both the voice of someone educated in systems of agriculture and novice, as she allows each farm - and farmer - to tell their own story and bolsters it with her knowledge and research. Brava, to the author! An engaging, enlightening conversation perpetuator at 266 pages. In the fight for sustainable ecological systems, this book is a fabulous tool and I can't wait to share it with my students!
April 13, 2021
Well-thought out and researched, this book provided me with a multitude of insights into the problems with industrialized agriculture and the solutions for our environment provided by regenerative agriculture. In a family where we want to get started in regenerative agriculture, the author provided us with knowledge from a variety of sources and first-hand accounts of farmers who are making their way - and profiting - from their own venture into regenerative farming. For anyone wishing to learn more about what you can do with what you have and where you are, this book will be a wealth of knowledge to you. I hadn't expected it to be a page-turner, but I couldn't put it down at times. There were parts that made me angry such as when I learned how industrial agriculture has ruined the soil, and how it was incrementally sold to farmers as "normal" by governments and government initiatives. It also gave me hope that we can reverse the damage done to our soil health and renew our environments and the earth in the process.
A wealth of information in this gem of a book. Thank you!
A wealth of information in this gem of a book. Thank you!
August 4, 2019
I started this book very begrudgingly, as it was assigned reading for my school; however, by the end of it I felt quite informed. I won’t lie, it took forever to read (by my standards at least), was tough to get through at times, and making it required wasn’t exactly great motivation for me, but I am glad that I read this. I intend on making better decisions regarding my choices as a consumer and fighting for regenerative agriculture now, something I never thought I would say. Don’t tell anyone, but I’m actually considering growing some edible things now :P
Not a bad read! I’d definitely recommend it if you know nothing about farming, and it’s almost guaranteed to be just as valuable if you are a farmer yourself, there are some interesting farms she visits with varying methods of regenerative agriculture. Can’t wait to see the author when she visits campus!
Not a bad read! I’d definitely recommend it if you know nothing about farming, and it’s almost guaranteed to be just as valuable if you are a farmer yourself, there are some interesting farms she visits with varying methods of regenerative agriculture. Can’t wait to see the author when she visits campus!
September 8, 2024
A lot has changed in the 10ish years since Michael Pollen published Omnivore’s Dilemma in 2006, and Stephanie Anderson’s book reads in some ways, as a sequel. She is an equally compelling author to Pollen, able to communicate the direness of the conventional agriculture situation, while also providing meaningful ideas and optimism for how each of us can play a part in the transition to regenerative agriculture. As someone who went through a farmer training program and did not cut it as a farmer for a career, I have so much respect for those who do and do it well, such as the four role models in this book. For those who struggle with farming, I still believe we all have a role to play. Personally, I find composting and home gardening very rewarding to connect you to the themes in this book. Anyways, highly recommend this book as both a call to action and a genuinely enjoyable read.
February 10, 2019
I picked this book (Thanks Netgalley! )as I was curious about regenerative agriculture and more specifically, whether it was viable for commercial production and this book delivered. The author Stephanie is deeply invested in farming and you can see clearly the evolution of her thinking on "conventional" agricultural practices over time and exposure to agrobusiness ventures. As a layman, this book is packed full of facts, but written in an articulate, readable style, and I ended up reading it cover to cover over a couple of days. Would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about why we need to go beyond sustainability to regenerative land management.
September 27, 2020
Very much enjoyed this book. I've read a decent amount of sustainable farming and regenerative agriculture books. I appreciated that the author went pretty deep into the history of farming and the science of regeneration by profiling four diverse (in size, operation, region and products) farms Oftentimes the solution in these types of books seems too simple, and I valued that she understood it's a complicated matter. Another book that inspires me to move to the land and farm!
March 22, 2021
For those interested in “sustainability”, the future or agriculture, and the ecological crisis, this book challenges the idea that aiming for “sustainable” is enough. It uses personal stories to criticize the current state of agriculture in the United States as well as to inspire the next generation of farmers and consumers.
December 22, 2021
This book as made a huge impact in my life. I read it during my sophomore year of college, and I became absolutely entranced by the ideas of regenerative agriculture. This book is real, it's honest, it's gritty, and it gives hope. 10/10 would recommend to anyone who wants to understand our food system, the people behind it, and what we can do to make it better.
March 12, 2022
I loved this book, and the message in all the books on this topic, start small, change one thing at a time, learn from your mistakes, reward yourself for the small wins....
I am looking forward to practicing these things on my own small scale.
I am looking forward to practicing these things on my own small scale.
July 20, 2019
One of the most impactful and thought provoking books on the future of agriculture that I've read
August 24, 2019
I loved this book. So many interesting ideas about how the future could look with an alignment of federal policy and public will.
January 4, 2021
I had to read this my freshman year in college. It was a interesting read and definitely recommend it! However, I don't like to read nonfiction so it was very slow to get through.
January 18, 2022
Drūms ieskats ASV lauksaimniecībā, kuru visticamāk var glabāt reģeneratīvās lauksaimniecības praktizēšana.
December 6, 2023
Regenerative agriculture
November 23, 2020
This isn't a book that I would usually read but it was assigned to me as a college reading assignment. Now I will say my actual rating is a 2.5 because I didn't personally find the book interesting. However, I know enough about gardening, science, history, nature, and english to know that what was written well written and thoroughly researched. While this book wasn't my cup of tea I know for many people who are big activists in the environment and agricultural fields would find this book interesting.
May 1, 2022
A 11hr audiobook. Overall I really liked this book, telling the story of the author going to a few different places and talking with farmers of different background to interviews on topics of regenerative agriculture. I look forward to seeing more books by this author.
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