Sarah S. (tigrrrl) - reviewed on 2/6/2009 + 8 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 8

Barbara Kingsolver does an amazing job portraying what life would be like if all of our sustenance came from less than a 120 mile radius. With a lot of planning and farmland she and her family were able to make it through one entire year of "local" eating. Her 3500 sq ft garden and orchard definitely puts my backyard garden to shame, but is inspirational to say the least. I thoroughly enjoyed the articles and essays contributed by her husband Steven L. Hopp throughout the chapters and the seasonal recipes by her daughter are great too.

While growing one's own food and slaughtering poultry at home may not be feasible to all of us urban residents, the premise of this book can still be incorporated into our own daily lives. Living in Southern California I have to wonder why am I buying Florida oranges at Vons when there are plenty more selections that are grown locally. Making conscious decisions about our food and getting to know the local farmer's markets can make a huge impact not only to our environment, but for our local economy as well.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is a great resource for those who are just learning about the Slow Food movement without being too heavy on information. I am looking forward to reading the books that Kingsolver recommends in the index as well as boosting my vegetable garden's output this spring!

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