Good Read: The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan takes the reader through four major systems of the human food chain. The Industrial Food Chain, the Organic Industrial Food Chain, the "Beyond Organic" Chain and the Hunter/Gatherer Chain.

I appriciate the honesty that he brings to his writing. Both in his personal experience, and in his emotions. I don't feel like he's trying to sell the reader an idea. He's simply documenting his research, what has happened in his own experience and how he felt about it. He lets the facts and his very human reaction speak for themselves.

It also seems that Pollan has done what he can to stay involved in his research. Without ruining the details for those of you who haven't read it, he stays as closely connected to each food chain, try as he might, to be involved with how his "end meal is produced by each system.

I liked it so much that I just came from the library with his second book In Defense of Food. Let me know what you think if you've read either, (I miss my college literature days where we would sit in a circle and hash out the details of a good book.) and let me know if there's a book that you think should be on the Iron Oak Farm Good Reads List.

Try saving on the Omnivore's Dilemma with these Barnes and Noble coupon codes.

Iron Oak Farm Suffers a Great Loss

 I've been trying to find a way to share this, and many times I've simply deleted the post and thought I would just write it another day, but sadly, we lost our Ceddie to cancer last week. His body was tired and he could no longer walk or carry out natural functions the way a dog should. The cancer was colon cancer, but had moved to his spine and was slowly "shorting out" his back end. Truth be told, I have never loved an animal as much as I loved this dog, and the past week has been really tough. Looking back, I guess I didn't really blog a whole lot about Ceddie, and I think the main reason behind this is that I never really considered him an animal. He was simply a friend who was always there. With me, by my side, while I took care of chores, or walks in the woods, or drives in the car. We miss him something awful, and only hope that time and prayers will heal our broken hearts.

“Ask the animals, and they will teach you...In God’s hand is the life of every creature, and the breath of all mankind.” (Job 12:7 and10)

Liebster Award from Skin Care for Your Soul

I want to thank Skin Care for Your Soul for awarding me with the Leibster Blog award! Skin Care for Your Soul is an awesome and informaive blog about natural skin care, using herbs, plants from nature or your garden, things in your pantry or fridge, and even the scoop on what's what in the natural cosmetic industry. It's a soul nurishing blog, like a breath of fresh air, filled with beauty both on the inside and out. Thanks Camille!

How this works
"Liebster," comes from the German word meaning "dearest" and the award is kind of chain letter that is awarded to up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 readers.

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.

2. List your top 5 blog picks for this award and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and past the award on your blog.

4. Spread the love to 5 other bloggers.

5. Have fun!!!

Here are my 5
1. On The Green Farms (A blog about natural animal care and organic gardening. They have some great videos. I'm not completely sure they have less than 200 members, but it's a really informative blog.)
2.The Garden Roof Coop (A blog writen by a fellow Community Chickens blogger about raising chickens, gardening and wildlife photography.)
3. Help for Dental Hygienists (A blog for dental hygienists or anyone interested in dental health, with tips on how to be successful in your career in the dental field.)
4. 1840 Farm (Another blog written by a fellow Community Chickens writer about cooking, gardening and farming.)
5. The Bench of an Apprentice (a blog about metal working)

Winter Comes to Iron Oak Farm

Good Read: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbera Kingsolver

Hi everyone, I'm back! My computer has been on the fritz and I couldn't access any of my images. Looking into getting an external hard drive after the holidays, but Zach has my computer in working order temporarily.

I finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. And to be honest, I had mixed feelings. Don't get me wrong, I totally recommend the book, I feel that there is a ton of valuable knowledge and she presents a great argument in favor of the local food movement. She also has some really beautiful moments, in particular at the ends of chapters where her language really comes alive and is almost poetic. 

But as I read, I always felt as though there was this underlying tone towards the audience. Just a bit condescending, as though she was harboring an inside joke between the book and herself and the reader was expected to just smile and take her word for it. I feel as though she needs to consider her targeted audience a bit more. People who read this piece are probably like you and I, interested in how to eat more sustainably and local, and are turning to her to find out how she did this. I feel as though she gets a bit hung up on the uniqueness of her situation and assumes that the reader will be just as fascinated. It's very slight, but still, I felt it throughout. Not enough to not read the book again, or not recommend it to others, just more of an annoyance than anything else. This is the second book I've read by Barbara Kingsolver, the first was Prodigal Summer, which I loved, but I found her "year of food-life" narrative a different experience.

I feel as though she also sneaks in some off-topic digs, summarizing the opposing arguments in short, generalized sweeps. (granted that is exactly what I'm doing here, by writing this post and giving no citation or examples to back my thoughts, but then again, this is a blog post not a published work, maybe that's an excuse, maybe it isn't?) She also assumes that her reader shares her opinion in these off topic jaunts. As I read the book, I felt that Mrs. Kingsolver thinks that a person who wants to eat locally is a certain "type" of person, and that eating locally automatically signs you up for certain social, cultural, political and even religious (at times) understandings. But without spoiling it for those of you who haven't read it, give it a go, and let me know what you think. I'm sure many of you have already read it, what did you think?