From the Good Earth

An illustrated celebration of organically grown food and the land and people who produce it; a photographic journey over five continents that investigates traditions thousands of years old. It invites us to turn back to the land, to appreciate time-honoured growing techniques, to take food less for granted and to enjoy it more. Farmer and photographer Michael Ableman long ago rejected the mechanized agriculture standard on modern farms. He turned to cultures and individuals who grow food in ways that sustain their communities and care for the land. Over a period of seven years he visited farmers in southern China, the Peruvian Andes, central Africa, Sicily, the American Southwest and further afield, looking for clues to environment-friendly and healthful cultivation. He toured the vast tracts of America's factory farms, and he found hundreds of "new" farmers and gardeners. And he chronicled his findings in this text, with evocative colour plates that record agricultural methods and enshrine a cornucopia of natural foodstuffs. A treasury of information and inspiration, "From the Good Earth" is for everyone who enjoys good food, gardening and the bounty of the earth.
Michael Ableman runs Fairview Gardens Farm in Goleta, Califomia, which yields over 100 varieties of organic produce and serves as an educational and community centre.