Food from the Radical Center

September 15, 2018

Recognized as the father of the local food movement, Nabhan (Food, Genes, and Culture) presents a collection of stories that illustrate what good can happen when people organize and work to restore land in order to produce healthy foods. Each of the 13 chapters begins, "have you ever..." Readers are then drawn into stories and relatable tales about successes that culminated from hard work and dedication. Nabhan relates his firsthand experiences with community-based restoration and biocultural restoration and illustrates the importance of collaboration to restoring the diversity of foods, returning water to dry lands, creating vibrant plant life and flowers, learning the nutritional values of grains and fruits, and maintaining the habitat of pollinators vital to our food supply. All of his examples show how these programs, aimed at producing healthy foods, also bring about understanding of differences in cultures, thus fostering healthy human relationships. VERDICT A thought-provoking collection recommended for libraries with environmental collections.--Patricia Ann Owens, formerly at Illinois Eastern Community Coll., Mt. Carmel

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2018
In this collection of success stories, Nabhan (Where Our Food Comes From, 2008), generally recognized as the father of the local food movement, suggests that one way of bridging America's deep divides is through communally shared projects designed to increase overall access to healthy, natural food. The book presents a series of scenarios?mostly grassroots movements ranging from revitalizing exhausted soil to cultivating pollinator populations, reintroducing heritage vegetables, or opening up free-range grazing opportunities?that have resulted in fruitful outcomes (both literally and figuratively). Profiles center on one or two people who started with a personal vision, sparked recognition and participation, and turned their aspirations into reality, resulting in shared senses of purpose and benefits for their entire communities?all while triggering trends toward natural-food sources. Names, anecdotes, and insights help personalize these stories, and Nabhan's cited literature selections include websites of organizations that support similar initiatives. Both informational and inspirational, this will be of interest to foodies, conservationists, and environmentalists alike.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)