"Locavores will appreciate Brockman's book as a testament to
sustainable agriculture; those just looking for an engaging read
won t be left hungry, either."--Janet Fuller"The Chicago Sun-Times"
(11/11/2009)"
This is by far the most informative and earnest of the
back-to-the-land memoirs; anyone thinking about farming as a way of
life should read it. "The Seasons on Henry's Farm" isn t full of
peril. It doesn t warn away or beckon hither. It s a sober,
cleareyed assessment of what needs to get done, when, how and why.
By describing a year s worth of chores on her brother s farm in
central Illinois, Brockman give us an excellent idea of how
demanding and profoundly rewarding farming can be....Her prose is
brisk, yet richly detailed. The chapter on the ice storm that
felled a beloved oak, which gave Henry a way to propagate
mushrooms, is a marvel of concise wisdom, and so is one called
Drakes Mount, for anyone who ever wondered exactly how birds do it.
By the time spring arrived, I was eyeing my suitcase and seriously
contemplating a stint as an intern. Brockman gives new meaning to
the term earth mother. She brooks no nonsense or misplaced
sentimentality about life on a farm. She can be eloquent even on
the life of swine, watching piglets suckling while the mother sow s
grunts and moans turned erotic. And then, in the next line, there s
a reference to the hogs we ll butcher that same day. When Henry
decides to charge customers for biodegradable plastic bags (and
Brockman adroitly explains why even those aren t good), some of his
customers are furious. She s wryly funny about how heresy quickly
becomes practicality. Brockman is an avid reader: Shakespeare,
William Carlos Williams, Marcel Proust and Gabriel Garcia Marquez
stride across Henry s fields. And their eloquence rubs off: her
descriptions of winter s quiet make you want to try experiencing
those grueling summer days on the farm, simply to deserve that rich
relaxation when the crops are all in.--Dominique Browning"New York
Times Book Review" (06/06/2010)"
"Interlacing vibrant description, thoughtful reflection and
mouth-watering recipes, Brockman's book explores and recounts the
physical and personal realities of a daily relationship with the
land."--Elizabeth Janicek"Radish Magazine" (10/30/2009)
"Terra Brockman gives the reader a view of the world of the farm,
and a glimpse of a greater world of literature and art. With the
log of daily activities throughout the year, and interesting
recipes, this book offers the reader a bountiful and varied feast.
Read it and be joyful that you can take advantage of the produce
from Henry's farm without the unending labor."--Joan
Richards"Chicago Botanic Garden" (02/01/2010)
"This literary, yearlong memoir documenting the weeks on a central
Illinois sustainable farm is filled with poetry and beauty as well
as advocacy and science...This is not a confrontational book that
takes on corporate chemical farming. It's a gentle book that points
to an alternative path."--Clare Howard"Peoria Journal Star"
(10/19/2009)
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