Books on farms, food and farming history by various authors

c.2024, various publishers $27.00 – $30.00 various page counts Last spring, all you saw was rows and rows of dirt, with a promise of more to come. Then there were soft rows of green, followed by real plants, then crops of bales or food or cobs. That acreage you know or imagine is dear to your heart, so why not read these great books on farms, food and farm history? If there are animals on your farm, you already know that they have feelings, make friends, and have definite opinions. In “The Wisdom of Sheep: Observations from a Family Farm” by Rosamund Young (Penguin Press), you’ll read about life on Kite’s Nest Farm, where crops are organically grown and the animals are loved. You almost can’t raise livestock without watching them closely and here, Young writes about her sheep and her cows (she’s also the author of “The Secret Life of Cows”), how they interact with one another, and how they otherwise behave. Farmers will identify with Young’s quiet reverence for the land she loves; anyone who appreciates domestic animals of any kind will truly enjoy this collection of short essays and observations. For any farmer, it comes as no...