7.07.2008
Over the weekend I read Five Acres and Independence by MG Kains and Homesteading, by Gene Logsdon. I also started reading The Contrary Farmer again, also by Gene Logsdon. Mr. Logsdon is one my favorite writers for the way he can present an idea so poetically and bluntly at the same time.
I think when our chance to move to the farm 2 1/2 half years ago fell through, I decided to make an ideological shift away from practical agrarianism as a means to deal with my disappointment. Re-reading some these authors and their approach to living is like returning home, and I am excited once again.
One of the things I love about The Contrary Farmer is Logsdon's insistence on the importance of the garden and how it relates to farming, and indeed life, as a whole. While we have had a small garden at our suburban home this year, I have not had the same intensity and affection as I have had with previous gardens. Reading his book made me realize that I need to be devoted to the success of my garden, if I ever hope to be successful on any kind of homestead. I need to be seeking to not just produce, but also to improve. There also many obvious parallels between how I approach a garden and how I approach life, and I think the last two years of my life is brought into focus more clearly if I reflect upon that.
I think when our chance to move to the farm 2 1/2 half years ago fell through, I decided to make an ideological shift away from practical agrarianism as a means to deal with my disappointment. Re-reading some these authors and their approach to living is like returning home, and I am excited once again.
One of the things I love about The Contrary Farmer is Logsdon's insistence on the importance of the garden and how it relates to farming, and indeed life, as a whole. While we have had a small garden at our suburban home this year, I have not had the same intensity and affection as I have had with previous gardens. Reading his book made me realize that I need to be devoted to the success of my garden, if I ever hope to be successful on any kind of homestead. I need to be seeking to not just produce, but also to improve. There also many obvious parallels between how I approach a garden and how I approach life, and I think the last two years of my life is brought into focus more clearly if I reflect upon that.
Labels: agrarian, garden, Logsdon
