If you care about food, you care about farmers. But the farmers profiled in this book are not the corporate agribusiness people who put money and politics above health. These folks are working to heal our earth, strengthen and free our seeds, provide humane care to our animals, and raise wholesome, organic food to nourish our families. This group of Oregon farmers and farm supporters reflects the diversity of people, both young and old, who are reshaping our food system and reclaiming our right to eat well. In their stories you will hear how they came to be where they are, learn something about the challenges they face, and share their happiness at the successes they've enjoyed thus far. America's new farm movement is driven by a desire to do good, and somehow make a living at the same time. As you will learn, it's not an easy path, but what worthwhile path is? As a reader, you will learn about the world these farmers live in. As an eater, you can choose to help them, and those like them, continue their work. And as a gardener or future farmer, you can join them in making our world a better place to live.
About the Author: John Clark Vincent is a writer and author who lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Lisa D. Holmes, and their dogs Sadie and Cricket. He grew up on a family farm in central Kansas, then attended the University of Kansas where he studied creative writing and language arts education. While at KU, he was accepted into the English Honors Program and was awarded first place in the William Herbert Carruth Memorial Poetry Contest. He has spent the majority of his career working as a writer and producer in marketing communications, including fifteen years at Yulan Studio, which he owns with his wife, Lisa. In addition to "Planting A Future: Portraits from Oregon's New Farm Movement", John co-authored "Winemakers of the Willamette Valley: Pioneering Vintners from Oregon's Wine Country", and published a collection of poetry, "Repairing Shattered Glass". John's poetry and screenplays have won awards from the Willamette Writers' annual Kay Snow Writing Contest. John's interest in agriculture began as a child in Rice County, Kansas, where he worked on his family's farm. The dryland farm produced wheat, various sorghums, alfalfa, and occasionally crops like sudangrass or cow peas for fodder and soil improvement. Livestock included cattle and hogs for commercial production, chickens for family eggs, and a few lambs for 4-H projects. His 4-H experiences led him to a fascination with entomology, and his informal study of insects continues today. He is an avid gardener and loves to ferment his own produce.