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Contrary Farmer by Gene Logsdon (1995, Trade Paperback)
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Contrary Farmer by Gene Logsdon (1995, Trade Paperback)
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherRizzoli International Publications, Incorporated
ISBN-100930031741
ISBN-139780930031749
eBay Product ID (ePID)788515
Product Key Features
Book TitleContrary Farmer
Number of Pages256 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication Year1995
TopicAgriculture / General, Sociology / Rural
IllustratorYes
GenreTechnology & Engineering, Social Science
AuthorGene Logsdon
FormatTrade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height0.6 in
Item Weight14.6 Oz
Item Length9 in
Item Width6 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN9426-000059
Reviews"'Cutting down a large tree should be an act charged with ritual.' Why? Farming columnist Logsdon points to the tree's 'wonderful accomplishment' and to its 'feat of survival' as models for ourselves. Then he goes on to discuss ways of felling trees that have come to the end of their lives and can therefore spare their wood for fuel. This collection of essays recommends cottage farming--the small-scale, part-time growing that aims to reduce food expenses and increase pleasure in living--in a tone that combines even-handed pragmatism, idealism ('Measure the value of products in human terms,' he urges) and impatient realism ('Let those who put their faith in fancy threads laugh at your jeans'). The author rejects "institutionalized claptrap" for the greater benefits of rural independence and freedom, and outlines ways we can pursue these. 'Flee the evils that centralized power always generates,' he advises, calling himself an investor in 'the tools that make sweat more productive.' Logsdon raises a sanely unruly voice in a society where life too often only seems civilized. His correctives are not easily applied, but their promise and appeal (like his own) are powerful."-- Publishers Weekly "Logsdon is a writer for New Farm magazine and author of several books on small-scale farming and American agriculture, including At Nature's Pace: Farming and the American Dream . He is also a farmer, and experiences from his small Ohio farm provide much of the the subject material for The Contrary Farmer , which explains how he deals with crops, animals, machinery, the weather, and the neighbors. Just what is a contrary farmer? Among other things, one who is not afraid to go against the grain of conventional agricultural wisdom, who does not believe that bigger is always better or that no-till chemically maintained monocultures are superior to crop rotations and diversified farming. Logsdon is as staunch an advocate for the small family farm or acreage ('cottage farm' in his parlance) as you are likely to find. His latest book is thoughtful, entertaining, often irreverent, and brimming with ideas and practical advice."-- Library Journal "No learned gentleman farmer, Logsdon earns his moments of lyricism by analyzing at length the daily demands on the cottage farmer (one whose holdings are much smaller than the 50 acres that economists deem 'small'). He recommends alternatives: ways to avoid backbreaking work, to use gardens to test prospective crops, to ameliorate the 'gruesome' tasks of butchering and tail docking, to access water for irrigation, to avoid the pitfalls of 'controlled rational grazing,' to determine the most functional crop for the working cottage farm (it's corn), and so on. All this by a man who also reads widely and has a down-home sense of humor, as well as no reluctance to express his opinions. So if at first you think that these farming essays are too technical for you, you're wrong. 'Yeah, I could do that--avoid buying gadgets I don't need, be a lender rather than a borrower, live near a village where I can buy a home for $40,000,' we muse, even if eventually we hear from Logsdon that we must 'learn to fix cars and tractors' ourselves, and sigh, 'Too much, too much.'"-- Booklist, Publishers Weekly- "Cutting down a large tree should be an act charged with ritual." Why? Farming columnist Logsdon ( Organic Orcharding ) points to the tree's "wonderful accomplishment" and to its "feat of survival" as models for ourselves. Then he goes on to discuss ways of felling trees that have come to the end of their lives and can therefore spare their wood for fuel. This collection of essays recommends cottage farming--the small-scale, part-time growing that aims to reduce food expenses and increase pleasure in living--in a tone that combines even-handed pragmatism, idealism ("Measure the value of products in human terms," he urges) and impatient realism ("Let those who put their faith in fancy threads laugh at your jeans"). The author rejects "institutionalized claptrap" for the greater benefits of rural independence and freedom, and outlines ways we can pursue these. "Flee the evils that centralized power always generates," he advises, calling himself an investor in "the tools that make sweat more productive." Logsdon raises a sanely unruly voice in a society where life too often only seems civilized. His correctives are not easily applied, but their promise and appeal (like his own) are powerful. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Dewey Edition21
TitleLeadingThe
Dewey Decimal635
Table Of ContentThe Ramparts People 1. At Ease with the Work of Farming 2. Pastoral Economics 3. The Garden is the Proving Ground for the Farm 4. The Peaceable Kingdom of the Barnyard 5. Water Power 6. A Paradise of Meadows 7. Groves of Trees to Live In 8. King Corn 9. Cottage Mechanics 10. Winter Wheat, Spring Oats, Summer Clover, Fall Pasture Books the Contrary Farmer Treasures Index
SynopsisGene Logsdon has become something of a rabble-rouser in progressive farm circles, stirring up debates and controversies with his popular New Farm magazine column,The Contrary Farmer.One of Logsdon’s principle contrarieties is the opinion that—popular images of the vanishing American farmer, notwithstanding—greater numbers of people in the U.S. will soon be growing and raising a greater share of their own food than at any time since the last century. Instead of vanishing, more and more farmers will be cottage farming, part-time. This detailed and personal account of how Logsdon’s family uses the art and science of agriculture to achieve a reasonably happy and ecologically sane way of life in an example for all who seek a sustainable lifestyle. InThe Contrary Farmer, Logsdon offers the tried-and-true, practical advice of a manual for the cottage farmer, as well as the subtler delights of a meditation in praise of work and pleasure.The Contrary Farmerwill give its readers tools and tenets, but also hilarious commentaries and beautiful evocations of the Ohio countryside that Logsdon knows as his place in the universe., Gene Logsdon has become something of a rabble-rouser in progressive farm circles, stirring up debates and controversies with his popular New Farm Magazine column, The Contrary Farmer. One of Logsdon's principle contrarieties is the opinion that--popular images of the vanishing American farmer, notwithstanding--greater numbers of people in the U.S. will soon be growing and raising a greater share of their own food than at any time since the last century. Instead of vanishing, more and more farmers will be cottage farming, part-time. This detailed and personal account of how Logsdon's family uses the art and science of agriculture to achieve a reasonably happy and ecologically sane way of life in an example for all who seek a sustainable lifestyle. In The Contrary Farmer , Logsdon offers the tried-and-true, practical advice of a manual for the cottage farmer, as well as the subtler delights of a meditation in praise of work and pleasure. The Contrary Farmer will give its readers tools and tenets, but also hilarious commentaries and beautiful evocations of the Ohio countryside that Logsdon knows as his place in the universe.
LC Classification NumberS523 .L67
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Ratings and Reviews
Most relevant reviews
- Aug 27, 2019
Great book!
Great book packed with lots of useful information and things to try.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
