Book club: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Page 5

[Contrariety]

I read this when it first came out and it DRAMATICALLY changed my way of thinking about many things, especially what I eat. I have always been pro-growing my own food and try my best to support local products, but WOW! This book absolutely set it in stone for me.

I love, love, LOVE Barbra Kingsolver! LOVE HER!

[speaking_of_faith]

First Heard about the book on NPR

I read this book after hearing an interview on the "Speaking of Faith" radio program.

This book really got me thinking about local foods and the un-calculated cost of foods from far distances. I am hoping to read some real life experiences of Moms who have made steps toward eating 'locally'.

[anamama]

I was disappointed in how she handled the whole meat-eating thing. It seemed to me to be a rant of justification for eating meat.
I think everyone should make their best decision about what to eat. For some, that might mean eating a plant based diet with a bit of local fish thrown in. Others might feel fine eating veggies, fruits and grains with some locally humanely raised chicken. Some may be totally vegan, some may eat quite a bit of meat. The important bit, the part that impacts our health, our planet's health, and respects the animals who are giving their lives, is that all of our food is raised as ethically and locally as possible.
BK ranting about Alicia Silverstone wanting to open an animal sanctuary (what would she do with all those eggs? when the cows "needed" to be milked?) is beside the point and imo, an incomplete and immature argument. Also the whole bit about "little bunnies and insects are killed when farm machinery goes through fields to gather plant foods". C'mon, that is so weak. Many people (myself included) would simply like to reduce their impact on the planet and other living creatures. I eat a 99% organic, local as is feasible for me diet. My grandfather had a farm. I'm from KY, like Barbara. I know the realities. I choose not to eat mammals. I do not berate my friends who do. I do not supply poor arguments for why people should all be veg, or criticize people for their choices.
While I really like Barbara Kingsolver (I have read all of her books), I don't agree with her on everything. I could leave it at that, if she could restrain herself from overjustification of eating animals. As it is, I'm a bit disappointed in her.
Now, pass me that homemade pizza :

[aliall]

I loved the book. In fact it was the inspiration for setting up a locavore site for my area of the country. I read "Plenty" recently too, but didn't enjoy it near as much!

Just think how many resources are wasted so we can eat out of season and from far far away.

[That Is Nice]

This was a good book. I was really struck by how incredibly talented the author's daughter is as a writer. The parts written by her daughter were so well written. It must run in the family. I really felt that family and children were important to the author, and I loved how they did things as a family.

[audsma]

I'm a big Kingsolver fan, and bought this book for many people after finishing it. It was a part of a wonderful journey for me, beginning with Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, continuing with my near worship of my favorite farmers as I became a die-hard shopper there, leading to my membership in Slow Food International, and propelling me into Plenty. The gardening aspect on my own, and the inspiration to can/preserve are on my list for this year-- last year it was about sourcing local foods. Still, I loved Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and am sorry (and happy) I lent it out today and can't dive back in.

[Evansmama]

I love, love, love this book! I too am having a bit of a struggle. I have ocme to the conclusion that while I would love to live exclusively local, I have a toddler to please. Said toddler loves his nanas and apes (grapes!), and living in Oklahoma finding those locally isn't happening. So I now buy all of my meat, dairy, and as many veggies and fruits as I can locally. I suppose I am at least making *some* impact. Once DS is older and I can explain things to him we can alter this. Perhaps with next one I won't even introduce nanas or apes!

Originally Posted by jennnk

I'm also wrestling with bananas (how's that for a mental image?). When we go to Trader Joe's (it's 7 blocks away, we're there every 2-3 days), my son eats an organic banana while we shop, to keep him occupied and content and so he's not asking for every.little.thing. Do I continue doing that and continue promoting produce from Ecuador and wherever else, or do I risk Toddler Wrath™ and tell him "no banana today, honey, sorry"? It's a tough call!

[Evansmama]

I made cheese!

I ordered the kit and made some motzarella using raw whole milk from a local dairy. It was gooooood! I then used it to make home made ravioli's. I was very impressed with myself!

[happyhats]

I really enjoyed this book and it really did put a fire under my butt. But I'm waaaay further behind than many of you. It made me much more motivated to cook from scratch (which I'm doing more and more) and eat fresh produce. Growing up in an all processed food family, those are pretty big steps and I'm feeling all proud of myself, lol. I know, sad. I've also started composting, and I've mapped out where the best places for local produce and meats are so that when I'm in the area I can get them. (I live in the boonies and try to limit my driving so I can't really justify driving thirty miles or more just to go shopping...but when I have to go out that way for my obgyn anyway, it's all good!) This next weekend my family is going to dowtown St. Louis for my sister's birthday, so I'm going to fanagle a trip to the soulard farmer's market!

[Metasequoia]

I LOVE this book! Especially the month by month recipes. :

[Jennifer3141]

I've just cracked this book open and am on chapter 3, I think. I just finished with a lot of information about asparagus (which I hate ) but now I'm thinking I simply need to plant some to understand what she's talking about.

[lovermont]

I have a chapter or two left and I'm loving this book. We (dh and I) read OD first and I heard about this book and wanted to read how a family took Poulin's ideas and put them into action.
We've discussed this for the last 4-5 years but after reading these books we've decided to tell dh's family that we are seriously considering taking over their dairy farm. There are a lot of changes we need to make and we're hoping that his parents are open to it. We won't be moving to the farm for 3 years (dh is working on his PhD). In the meantime we have a lot to hash out with his family.

As for the thoughts on buying clothes locally- I am an avid sewer but am unsure where you could by local sewing materials (fabric, notions). I guess as an alternative you could commit to wear less and when you do want/need new clothing only buy consignment, or similar.

I had already ordered "nourishing traditions" and started making things from scratch. I now hope to preserve everything possible in our garden. I've already made nasturtium pesto and frozen some:
We would love to have eggs/chickens but it's is evidently illegal to have chickens in our town: The other tricky thing is that we are on WIC and while dh agrees that we should be eating locally he also has a hard time passing up a good deal- never mind free milk/eggs/cereal. One step at a time.

[OMama]

I just finished this yesterday. I had been wanting to read it for a long time. I loved it! And am sharing it with others, even though so many people I know have already read it. I know, too, this thread was starting a long time ago.

DH and I had already been doing some of these things, but now we are going to make even more of an effort to eat locally. Especially from Farmer's Markets, of which there are many in our area. We are also going to look for a source of local meat and dairy products. We don't eat that much meat, but we want to make sure that we know where it is coming from when we do eat it.

I'm also going to try my hand at cheese making! Can't wait!

We have our own vegetable garden in the backyard. But what I realized is that I'm good at planting things, but not always so certain about how to care for the plants when they come up. Weeding is pretty obvious, but thinning, pruning, harvesting, pest control -- these are all areas I need to learn more about. Anyone have a favorite organic gardening book to recommend? I wish there would have been more detail or a reference in the book about where to get more info when you are growing vegetables yourself.

[mommajb]

I have and enjoy Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch but am by no means an expert. I have the same problems as you but this is the book I reference when I think of it.

Happy cheesemaking!

[Periwinkle]

Originally Posted by Evansmama

I ordered the kit and made some motzarella using raw whole milk from a local dairy. It was gooooood! I then used it to make home made ravioli's. I was very impressed with myself!

I was just about to post the same thing. We made the mozzarella with the kids and my lord it was messy but it was SO much fun and we all loved it. I mean, it's not going to win any awards at the cheese show, lol, but it was an entirely edible mozzarella, and worked well on our pizza.

[texmati]

I hope ya'll don't mind me bumping this thread!

I'm reading this book... unlike some of ya'll, I only just recently found out about potatoes having leaf part.

As a suburban-dwelling daughter of urban dwelling parents, it's been facinating trying to garden a bit this year. This book is incredibly enlightening so far... although I have been forwarding past the husband and daughter portions.

[kellykins]

thank you for bumping this, I would have never seen it otherwise!
I am about halfway through the book-- not sure what chapter? But just got past the whole cheesemaking thing and it made me want to make cheese too!! I had a VERY small garden this past year, and reading this book REALLY got me fired up about expanding it next year. ALOT. It also motivated me to find a local source of eggs (which, by the way, I buy for $2.50/doz, same price I pd for "Egglands Best"--which happens to be the brand I suspect she dogs as flat out lying....)
I have the same concern, that now that the "frost is on the punkin" (a Hoosier saying apparently) --growing season is pretty much up, what to eat locally?? I also have the worlds least picky eater--who fancies herself some freeze dried Rambutan (from TJs....imported from somewhere in SE Asia)...

I'd be interested in hearing about other resources for "seasonal eating" plans/recipes....

[Shahbazin]

I just started reading this book, & really am enjoying it! I read Omnivore's Dilemma earlier this year, & also read a lot of Gene Logsdon's books (ie The Contrary Farmer & others), plus am just real interested in the whole local food movement. Other books of interest in this category include This Organic Life (Gussow), Fields of Plenty (Ableman), and Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal (Salatin).
Here's a guide for growing vegetables year round (in Maine, no less!) The Four Season Harvest http://www.amazon.com/Four-Season-Ha...5252816&sr=1-1

I also agree about the appreciating stuff more when you've had a hand in producing it - no wonder people used to have few clothes, of fine quality, that lasted forever - I took up raising sheep & fiber goats 10 years ago, & by the time I've raised the beastie, sheared it, picked the hay & dirt out of the fleece, washed the fleece, grown the plant to dye it, harvested the plant, dyed the fleece, carded it, spun it, & then crocheted the result into something - whee!

[BugMacGee]

HAven't read any of the other posts but I just finished this book.

It was like vegetable porn. I had to have some local veggies RIGHT NOW!

So inspiring. Helped me decide against buying a yardless townhouse.

[texmati]

Originally Posted by Shahbazin

I also agree about the appreciating stuff more when you've had a hand in producing it - no wonder people used to have few clothes, of fine quality, that lasted forever - I took up raising sheep & fiber goats 10 years ago, & by the time I've raised the beastie, sheared it, picked the hay & dirt out of the fleece, washed the fleece, grown the plant to dye it, harvested the plant, dyed the fleece, carded it, spun it, & then crocheted the result into something - whee!

! this is true! We are so used to havign stuff so cheap, we have no idea of the work that went into producing it.

The thing that gets me in the book is how far removed we are from the thigns we use... I don't know how to make the couch I'm sitting or the laptop I'm typing this on.... or how my food is grown or how my clothes are made. Or how to start a fire to heat myself in the winter.

I know I probably won't learn all of these things, but this book has at least got me thinking