Bet the Farm : The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America / Beth Hoffman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hoffman, Beth (Food and agriculture journalist/farmer), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Farms--Iowa.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 261 pages) : illustrations (black and white)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : Island Press, [2021]

Summary:

Half of America's two million farms made less than $300 in 2019. Between rising land costs, ever-more expensive equipment, the growing uncertainty of the climate, and few options for health care, farming today is a risky business. For many, simply staying afloat is a constant struggle. Bet the Farm chronicles this struggle through Beth's eyes as a beginning farmer. She must contend with her father-in-law, who is reluctant to hand over control of the land. Growing oats is good for the environment but ends up being very bad for the wallet. And finding somewhere, in the midst of COVID-19, to slaughter grass-finished beef is a nightmare. The couple also must balance the books, hoping that farming isn't a romantic fantasy that takes every cent of their savings. Even with a decent nest egg and access to land, making ends meet at times seems impossible. And Beth knows full well that she is among the privileged. If Beth can't make it, how can farmers who confront racism, lack access to land, or don't have other jobs to fall back on? Bet the Farm is a first-hand account of the perils of farming today and a personal exploration of more just and sustainable ways of producing food.

Contents:

Chapter 1: The Simple Life?

Chapter 2: Land Rich, Cash Poor

Chapter 3: The Land of Corn and Cattle

Chapter 4: The Price of Sustainability

Chapter 5: Privilege to Farm

Chapter 6: Money Matters

Chapter 7: What about Subsidies?

Chapter 8: The Cattle Runaround

Chapter 9: Keeping Up with the Joneses

Chapter 10: Everybody Does It—off the Farm

Chapter 11: A New Narrative

Chapter 12: Self-Care Is Key

Chapter 13: Co-farming and Community

Chapter 14: Sharing the Pie

Chapter 15: People and Policy

Chapter 16: Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781642831603

1642831603

OCLC:

1263028506