Book Review 1: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Part of what inspired my passion for locally grown food, sustainable agriculture, and more broadly, food that is good for people and the planet, has been reading books on this subject. I have decided to do a project where I write posts about some of the books that really inspired me or taught me in some way. Of course I am focusing on just the books that have to do with food. 

Book Review Number One: 

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

By Barbara Kingsolver

This is the book that sparked my passion. Barbara Kingsolver is a clear, interesting and witty author. This book documents the struggles and rewards of her family eating only "locally grown" food for a whole year. Essentially they try and eat as much food grown in t

heir backyard and on neighboring farms. Her family lives in rural Virginia and has a large garden, their own chickens, and eventually their own turkeys. Her description of trying to get the turkeys to mate was hilarious. 

In the book there are recipes and meal plans written by Kingsolver's teenage daughter, Camille Kingsolver. These provided insight into the seasonal changes in the food they ate and it also gave a teenage perspective on the challenges the family faced. I found this part particularly interesting since I am around Camille's age. Barbara Kingsolver's husband, Steven Hopp also wrote blurbs with facts about our current food system and other information. 

Overall, I learned a lot from this book. It was very entertaining and inspiring to read. I would highly recommend it.