Radical Farm

As a species, we have perhaps never been so confused about what to eat. The ethical, environmental, and health-related impacts of our diets are hot topics of discussion, with plant-based lifestyles often touted as the best way forward. But what if the opposite is true? What if animal agriculture is not only beneficial but necessary to ensure the health of our soil, ourselves, and our food system?

Part memoir, part homesteading guide, Radical Farm argues this is the case. Drawing on a wealth of research and hands-on experience, author and farmer/rancher Abey Rae Scaglione recounts how her and her family make their living and their life raising animals and growing crops on a heritage farm on Salt Spring Island. Along the way, she argues compellingly for the need for a return to local, regenerative farming practices, setting the record straight on common arguments against meat-eating and highlighting the need for animal agriculture because of animals' vital relationship with the soil (and the plant foods grown from it). The best way to support animal welfare, she argues, is not by opting out of animal agriculture altogether, but by supporting farms demonstrating good management.

Radical Farm is also a guide to the basics of sustainably raising animals and growing plants. With information on cattle, sheep, chickens, turkeys and gardening, this book also includes instructions on how to use and preserve food. With information on canning, fermenting and cheesemaking, as well as plenty of real food recipes, this book is for anyone wanting to take back control of the food they eat. Informative and thoughtful, it is sure to make a welcome addition to the bookshelves of anyone interested in self-sufficiency, sustainability, and our modern food system.