Product Description
“By turns edgy, moving, and hilarious.” -Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food
An unforgettably charming memoir, Farm City is full of hilarious moments, fascinating farmer’s tips, and a great deal of heart. When Novella Carpenter-captivated by the idea of backyard self-sufficiency- moved to inner city Oakland and discovered a weed-choked, garbage- strewn abandoned lot next door to her house, she closed her eyes and… More >>
Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer
Tags: City, Education, Farm, Farmer, Urban
#1 by Goya Scholar on May 16, 2010 - 5:57 pm
I wish that there would be some folks who heroically try to farm in an urban center will quit trying to be cute with distracting humor. Humor is good, but this humor keeps beating you over the head until you lose sight of the subject: the trials and tribulations of urban farming.
Rating: 1 / 5
#2 by karspeak on May 16, 2010 - 7:48 pm
I thought this book would be right up my alley–a mix of gardening, foodie writing and practical environmentalism. Alas, the whole book could be summarized in one sentence: she moves to a ghetto and raises a garden and some poultry, bees, rabbits, and pigs. The end. She just didn’t have much substance or great writing to fill out the story.
Rating: 3 / 5
#3 by Stephen T. Hopkins on May 16, 2010 - 10:28 pm
I found myself both laughing and wincing as I read Novella Carpenter’s Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer. Any reader wanting to glimpse into a way of living that’s more likely than not to be opposite from one’s own will find a lot of reading pleasure here. Carpenter describes growing food as a squatter on a lot next to the apartment she rented, and also keeping bees, raising rabbits and even raising two pigs, all in the city of Oakland, California. Dumpster diving three times a week at gourmet restaurants to find food for the hogs made me wince. The smells of the place also came alive for me, and made me glad that I don’t live next door. Humor and lightheartedness reign throughout, and Carpenter tells a light story with grace and ease. Farm City may lead some readers to reconsider eating locally.
Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Rating: 3 / 5
#4 by L. Bowes on May 17, 2010 - 1:16 am
Carpenter has an engaging writing style and there are some charming stories in the book, but for someone with a keen interest in urban agriculture, this book offered very little in the way of knowledge.
Rating: 3 / 5
#5 by D. Lee on May 17, 2010 - 1:32 am
I thought this was a cute book – fast read. By far the most exciting parts were about the pig! Love you Big Guy and Little Girl.
Rating: 4 / 5