Drawn to the Land: My Review

Most of us come from farms--at least if you go back two or three generations.  My maternal grandfather was a farmer, as were both my maternal great-grandfathers.  At least one of my paternal great-grandfathers was a farmer.  The authors of Drawn to the Land: The Romance of Farming are modern Americans who work in the medical field but whose roots are in farming, specifically farming in upstate New York.  They paint a romantic view of modern farming--literally because the book is illustrated with paintings by Elizabeth Cockey. They interviewed local farmers about their farms, crops and livestock and lifestyle.  They point out that farms and farm buildings have been re-purposed as the they have become economically unnecessary.  They seem to favor the organic farming movement over modern factory-style farms.

As someone who think the small farm town in which her mother grew up should never change from the way she remembers it (though you notice that I choose not to live there, or in a similar place), I see the authors' attraction to the romantic end of farming, and if you are looking for an attractive coffee-table book about farming and rural life, I think you'll like this one.

I'd like to thank Phenix and Phenix for providing a complimentary review copy.