I was once an avid reader, back when I had surplus time on my hands. Now, I have to make time and I’m most likely going to be found reading one of Joel Salatin’s works or any number of farm related books by various authors. Several months ago, a farm friend sent me a copy of The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love. This has been one of the most relatable books that I have ever read concerning farm life as we too are first generation farmers who started off with no money and no land.
Even if you’re not a farm or local food enthusiast, I think a lot of people would enjoy this book simply because of the quality of Kristin Kimball’s storytelling. You should check out her website as well as the Essex Farm website. If you’re a New York resident, you should definitely look into joining their Full Diet CSA.
Here’s a quote I love most from her book is, “A farm is a manipulative creature. There is no such thing as finished. Work comes in a stream and has no end. There are only the things that must be done now and things that can be done later. The threat the farm has got on you, the one that keeps you running from can until can’t, is this: do it now, or some living thing will wilt or suffer or die. Its blackmail, really.”
I couldn’t agree more.
