The Accidental Agrarian

Ten Acres Enough: The Classic 1864 Guide to Independent Farming

I have just completed my second reading of this fantastic, simple account of how a city business man left debt and near poverty to head for the countryside of Pre-Civil War New Jersey. While a seeming idealistic account of agriculture from today’s perspective this small book contains much to think over. Time then, like now, were uncertain and troubled by financial turmoil and social unease. The message that anyone can leave a career and begin again in a completely new venture is heartening but must be tempered with reality. The political climate against and opposition to small farms today didn’t exist in 1864. Likewise, the available land and prices are against the small farmer. Nevertheless, this book is well worth a read by anyone who is currently farming, dreams of tilling the soil and laboring for hours for next to nothing just to be able to produce a crop, or is just an avid gardener.

Tags: 10 acres enough, edmund morris, Farming, gardening

This entry was posted by Podchef on Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 at 11:42 am and is filed under Farming, Livestock. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.