It’ll be High Tide in Tucson before my garden sprouts The Bean Trees bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver 
grows on her farm in the Appalachian Mountains of southwestern Virginia. Small Wonder. This Prodigal Summer I’ve barely had time to tend to my roses, let alone plant enough fruits and vegetables to feed an entire family for a year. Why, my husband Rich and I would be like Pigs in Heaven if we could do what Kingsolver has done.
In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life Kingsolver and her family prove it’s possible to buy only food grown in their own community, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it. “Americans,” writes Steven L. Hopp, Kingsolver’s husband, “put as much fossil fuel into our refrigerators as our cars.” In fact, he says, “We’re consuming about 400 gallons of oil a year per citizen,” as food travels an average of 1,500 miles to our doorstep.
Luckily, we’re only a mile from the nearest farm stand, where sweet, succulent, homegrown tomatoes are ripening on the vine. For Kingsolver’s “Family Secret Tomato Sauce,” you’ll have to buy the book.
In case you haven’t guessed, the words in italics are titles of Kingsolver’s books, which also include the Poisonwood Bible and Animal Dreams. Her work has earned a devoted following and many awards, including the National Humanities Medal.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
Barbara Kingsolver, with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver
Harper Collins 2007
(This review first appeared August 5, 2007 in "What we're reading now," an occasional feature on the books page of the Sunday Erie Times News.)
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Comments: 32
Glad you enjoyed this important book. I encourage you to pick up "Coming Home to Eat," by my dear friend Gary Paul Nabhan. It chronicles his experiences doing the local-only food thing much closer to you - in Flagstaff. Just about anything is possible, you know.
Speaking of time, Kingsolver's book is definitely worth the hours you invest in reading it. It's brimming with her trademark humor, can-do spirit, plus lots of recipes, and carefully researched facts about what every family can do to save this precious Earth of ours.
http://www.kingsolver.com/home/index.asp
Since last September, we are trying to grow as much as possible in the small space we have for a food garden, not much yet but it is a start. We do buy as much locally grown food as possible, but living on an island, there is much that we cannot find locally - we have cut a lot of 'grown outside our area' foods, but others are a must.
I think we as a nation need to start going back to the "Victory Garden" concept. We have proved in the past we can feed much of the nation with the food grown in our own yards - and that was back during the two World Wars.......As oil and gas prices increase, it behooves us to either grow it ourselves or make the effort to find it nearby!
wishing you laughter
Will check this out at Border's...I imagine Aaron Lazar already has it!~
I went to the site as suggested by Moggy and did not have any success at listening to the audio piece. It downloaded but I can't listen/hear it for some reason. Too bad for me. But, thanks to Moggy for adding the site to your review.
pj
Thanks for reviewing this--the only reason I didn't do so in my column is that I had already reviewed it for this site:
http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews2/0060852550.asp
On my reading list now is Plenty, about a vegetarian couple in Canada who tried a similar experiment.
Very clever review, Lisa1
HERE is a link to the program.
I take great pleasure in chatting with my neighbors and friends at local farmers markets.
If a trip to Tuscany is not in your budget, the next best thing is a visit to Burch Farms Country Market. You won't believe the view. Located high up on Sidehill Road midway between Harborcreek and North East, Pa., the 250-acre, 6th-generation farm grows all the fixings for an impromptu picnic in its many orchards and vineyards overlooking Lake Erie. I'll stop for a basket of fresh peaches, and end up staying the afternoon, snacking on homemade pepperoni bread and trying out the latest release from the wine shop. See you at the Peach Festival August 18 and 19!
Thanks~