Where Our Food Comes from

We all eat. By the time food gets to your plate it has been on a journey. Open this book to the start of that journey, where much of your food (and flowers) comes from.

Some of the best soil in the world lies north of Seattle in the fertile Skagit River Valley. More than 90 crops are grown by farmers who immigrated from Europe, Japan, and Mexico. Farming is labor intensive and repetitive throughout the seasons, and daily tasks are required to keep the crops thriving. Wanting to show the unique mechanics of farming and who is involved in tending and harvesting the foods we eat, Craig J. Barber has spent years visiting and photography land and life on small mostly organic farms. He interviewed farmers, many of them third and fourth generation, whose stories are featured in these pages. He spent time with the field workers; not taking photos right away but gaining their trust. As a result of his persistence, Barber captures the physical demands and artistry of farming--field workers tossing cabbages up to another crew member in the back of a truck, a crew walking bent over behind a planter-tractor to make sure the seedlings are set correctly, the care and tenderness of those caring for livestock, the beauty of a kale field in the snow, and the drama of harvesting leeks on a winter night under a spotlight.

Where Your Food Comes From is a book with many facets. Look at and savor the rich photographs. Read the farmers' stories. Study the facts and figures to expand your knowledge about farmland, food, and farmers. The "magical" Skagit River Valley is unique in producing so much of the nation's and world's food (and flowers), but it is also a microcosm of the universal and worthy occupation of raising food. In Craig Barber's unforgettable book, we see how hard work, careful planning, and a love of the land combine to feed the world.