Bet the Farm: The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America by Beth Hoffman (

Description: FREE SHIPPING UK WIDE Bet the Farm by Beth Hoffman A personal account, written by a journalist, of the financial struggles facing family farmers in America. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Beth Hoffman was living the good life: she had a successful career as a journalist and professor, a comfortable home inSan Francisco, and plenty of close friends and family. Yet in her late 40s, she and her husband decided to leave the big cityand move to his family ranch in Iowa—all for the dream of becoming a farmer, to put into practice everything she hadlearned over decades of reporting on food and agriculture. There was just one problem: money.Half of Americas two million farms made less than $300 in 2019. Between rising land costs, ever-more expensiveequipment, the growing uncertainty of the climate, and few options for health care, farming today is a risky business. Formany, simply staying afloat is a constant struggle.Bet the Farm chronicles this struggle through Beths 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 badfor the wallet. And finding somewhere, in the midst of COVID-19, to slaughter grass-finished beef is a nightmare. Thecouple also must balance the books, hoping that farming isnt 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 cant make it, how can farmers who confront racism, lack access to land, or donthave other jobs to fall back on? Bet the Farm is a first-hand account of the perils of farming today and a personalexploration of more just and sustainable ways of producing food. Author Biography Beth Hoffman is a beginning farmer on 540 acres in Iowa. For the last twenty years, she has worked as a journalist covering food and agriculture. Her work has been aired and published on NPRs Morning Edition, The Guardian, The Salt, Latino USA, and the News Hour. Table of Contents Chapter 1. The Simple Life?Chapter 2. Land Rich, Cash PoorChapter 3. The Land of Corn and CattleChapter 4. The Price of SustainabilityChapter 5. Privilege to FarmChapter 6. Money MattersChapter 7. What about Subsidies?Chapter 8. The Cattle RunaroundChapter 9. Keeping Up with the JonesChapter 10. Everybody Does It – Off the FarmChapter 11. A New NarrativeChapter 12. Self-Care is KingChapter 13. Co-farming and CommunityChapter 14. Sharing the PieChapter 15. People and PolicyChapter 16. Meanwhile, Back at the RanchAcknowledgementsNotesAbout the Author Review "John and Beth knew that they were somewhat naive when they moved to Iowa, but Hoffman is very skilled (and eloquent) about turning that ignorance into observation and learning...her book is so precise and well-thought-out...Read her book -- and listen." --Jane Smiley "The Washington Post""Highly recommended.... The sustainable agriculture movement focuses on social, moral, and ecological facets of farming. Hoffman reminds readers that without also looking at the economics, such efforts will not succeed." -- "Choice""Bet the Farm is the best book... Malcolm Gladwell could [not] have done what Hoffman has done to explain present-day agricultures policies." -- "Des Moines Register""This wide-ranging discussion personalizes the farmers current milieu in a manner that connects national perspectives and situations with individual pursuits. Bet the Farm is a powerful presentation that should be a mainstay of any agriculture book collection or discussion of farmings future." -- "Donovans Literary Services" Long Description Beth Hoffman was living the good life: she had a successful career as a journalist and professor, a comfortable home in San Francisco, and plenty of close friends and family. Yet in her late 40s, she and her husband decided to leave the big city and move to his family ranch in Iowa-all for the dream of becoming a farmer, to put into practice everything she had learned over decades of reporting on food and agriculture. There was just one problem: money. Half of Americas 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 Beths 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 isnt 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 cant make it, how can farmers who confront racism, lack access to land, or dont 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. Review Quote "This wide-ranging discussion personalizes the farmers current milieu in a manner that connects national perspectives and situations with individual pursuits. Bet the Farm is a powerful presentation that should be a mainstay of any agriculture book collection or discussion of farmings future." Details ISBN164283159X Author Beth Hoffman Short Title Bet the Farm Pages 200 Publisher Island Press Language English Year 2021 ISBN-10 164283159X ISBN-13 9781642831597 Format Hardcover Imprint Island Press Place of Publication Washington Country of Publication United States NZ Release Date 2021-12-28 US Release Date 2021-12-28 UK Release Date 2021-12-28 Publication Date 2021-12-28 Subtitle The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America DEWEY 636.01092 Audience General AU Release Date 2021-12-27 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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