Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer

I just finished reading Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter.

While there is a lot written lately about eating locally, growing your own food, etc ... this book takes on the unique twist that it was all done in a run down section of Oakland, California rather than some sprawling acreage in Virginia, New Mexico, or British Columbia. In a relatively small, urban space she not only has a vegetable garden, but bees, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and, eventually, pigs. The many solutions she comes up with to the problems unique to her tight conditions are extremely interesting and give food for thought to those of use who may have previously felt constrained by the proximity of our homes to those of our neighbors.

There is also much on eating locally and the value of community which are also very interesting and the entire book makes for a good read, even for the non gardener. She also has a blog at Ghost Town Farm.