It's a Long Road to a Tomato : Tales of an Organic Farmer Who Quit the Big City for the (Not So) Simple Life

A new edition of longtime farmer Keith Stewart's deeply personal and highly acclaimed book on the hows and whys of running a small organic farm in 21st century America -- updated with five new essays, a foreword by Deborah Madison, and gorgeous new woodcuts by Flavia Bacarella Keith Stewart, already in his early forties and discontent with New York's corporate grind, moved upstate and started a one-man organic farm in 1986. Today, having surmounted the seemingly endless challenges to succeeding as an organic farmer, Keith employs seven to eight seasonal interns and provides 100 varieties of fresh produce to the shoppers and chefs who flock twice weekly, May to December, to his stand at Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan -- the only place where his produce is sold. It's a Long Road to a Tomato opens a window into the world of Keith's Farm, with essays on Keith's development as a farmer, the nuts and bolts of organic farming for an urban market, farm animals domestic and wild, and the political, social, and environmental issues relevant to agriculture today -- and their impact on all of us Now updated and expanded, a New York executive-turned-farmer shares his story and the hows & whys of running a small organic farm in 21st century America. Keith Stewart, already in his early forties and discontent with New York's corporate grind, moved upstate and started a one-man organic farm in 1986. Today, having surmounted the seemingly endless challenges to succeeding as an organic farmer, Keith employs seven to eight seasonal interns and provides 100 varieties of fresh produce to the shoppers and chefs who flock twice weekly, May to December, to his stand at Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan—the only place where his produce is sold. It's a Long Road to a Tomato opens a window into the world of Keith's Farm, with essays on Keith's development as a farmer, the nuts and bolts of organic farming for an urban market, farm animals domestic and wild, and the political, social, and environmental issues relevant to agriculture today—and their impact on all of us. Includes a foreword by Deborah Madison and gorgeous new woodcuts by Flavia Bacarella Praise for It's a Long Road to Tomato "Keith Stewart opens this engaging book by transforming himself abruptly from midlife executive into novice organic farmer. The twenty years that follow on an upstate New York farm are sampled here in true-life tales that—without denying the sometimes harsh realities of the small producer's life—leave the reader in no doubt of the joys that keep this small farmer on the land." —Joan Dye Gussow, author of This Organic Life "An enduring pleasure to read." —Sally Schneider, author of A New Way to Cook "Stewart has been providing New Yorkers with magnificent vegetables for two decades. Now, as if to prove he can do anything, he provides all Americans with a compelling story about his own approach to farming. And at precisely the right moment, just as millions of people across the country are rediscovering the pleasure, and the importance, of eating close to home." —Bill McKibben, author of Wandering Home and Falter A change of life : on becoming a farmer Regarding chickens and their eggs Buy it at the farmer's market An apprentice workforce The unpeaceable kingdom Thursday at the farm Wild weather (August 2000) Small farm economics watching the bottom line A garlic affair Barn swallows Organic certification and the United States Department of Agriculture A good knife In praise of herbs Farm dogs Marriage of body and mind It's a long road to a tomato The price of milk (December 2002) The hidden cost of farming Winter work Growing potatoes Kuri encounters a porcupine A day at the market Brave new vegetables Putting it back The driveway rabbits Sustainable vs. Organic who loses? Inner sanctum an office with a view A reversal of fortune The unweeded garden Farms on the block The heart of winter (January 2003) On the eve of war (February 2003) A man and his tractor The high price of milk Working man's mesclun Tiny Tim and his bovine harem Farm politic Kuri circa 1985 to 2003 What will happen to the land? Epilogue. A new edition of longtime farmer Keith Stewart's deeply personal and highly acclaimed book on the hows and whys of running a small organic farm in 21st century America—updated with five new essays, a foreword by Deborah Madison, and gorgeous new woodcuts by Flavia BacarellaKeith Stewart, already in his early forties and discontent with New York's corporate grind, moved upstate and started a one-man organic farm in 1986. Today, having surmounted the seemingly endless challenges to succeeding as an organic farmer, Keith employs seven to eight seasonal interns and provides 100 varieties of fresh produce to the shoppers and chefs who flock twice weekly, May to December, to his stand at Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan—the only place where his produce is sold. __It's a Long Road to a Tomato__ opens a window into the world of Keith's Farm, with essays on Keith's development as a farmer, the nuts and bolts of organic farming for an urban market, farm animals... Twenty years ago, a little past the age of forty, I was living in a small apartment in New York City, working as a project manager for a consulting firm, wearing a jacket and tie to the office every day. Presents essays on the author's midlife development as a farmer, with tips on organic vegetable growing and selling in an urban market, and insights into the issues surrounding agriculture.