Kingsolver, Barbara. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2007. Print.
This book begins with a giant transition for Barbara and her family of four. They have sold their home in Arizona and are moving across the country to Virginia, where they have owned a farm for years. A few months after getting settled, the family attempts to eat only local food for an entire year. As simple as it sounds, it is truly backbreaking work. To sustain themselves, the entire family participates in growing food and caring for animals as well as regular trips to farmers' markets. The youngest daughter, Lily, even raised her own chickens for both eggs and meat, which was a difficult but necessary business decision for her to make. Their local diet becomes a lifestyle choice in a very short amount of time, as the family learns more about the environmental woes a normal diet can cause as well as the surprising satisfaction of having a life that revolves around local food. One of the most heartbreaking foods they had to give up was fruit in the winter, but it just made them appreciate the fruits come summer even more.
The book features short essays by the father, Steven, which are a little dry at times but cover the scientific bases. I found Kingsolver to be an extremely credible source on the subject of local eating, so I did not find these essays justifying her statements to be necessary. The daughter's essays are more of a welcome break from the book, and provide powerful insight on the mindset needed to accomplish this sort of goal. Eating locally is an incredibly admirable thing to do. However, not many people know about the environmental devastation caused by simply eating a peach during wintertime. I am only halfway though the book but I have already had multiple discussions with my family about what we do to eat local, such as shopping at the Wednesday Market, and what we should be doing, such as buying more foods that are actually in season. This book provides a valuable education on an overlooked topic, and it is already making me want to reevaluate my lifestyle choices and integrate more local foods into my diet.
Good (but a little short) entry for 4/19/12
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that the book has sparked discussion with your family! Camille gives some insight to the challenges that you'll face in a couple of years when you go to college. I, too, find Kingsolver to be very credible, but I liked the professor's points as well. He gave the science; she gave the practicality.