10 best ebooks on sustainable food!

We're back again with our weekly ten recommendations on green ebooks!

This week I prepared a list of book recommendations on one of my favorite topics - sustainable food .

This list is based on my personal preferences - some of them are relatively old, but I still find them relevant and valuable.

The links of these ebooks are to Amazon.com and I apologize in advance to all the Nook, iPad, Kobo and Sony Reader owners. I hope you can easily find an ebook you'll like on other ebookstores. This is also the place to disclose that we're taking part in Amazon's affiliate program and therefore will receive a small percentage of every purchase made using these links. We hope you don't mind! You can find all the lists published so far on our recommended green ebooks webpage (see examples at the bottom of this post).

Without further ado, here's this week's list of 10 recommended green e-books on sustainable food:

1. The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food and Love by Kristin Kimball - Scribner (October 12, 2010)

2. Fair Food: Growing a Healthy, Sustainable Food System for All by Oran Hesterman - PublicAffairs (May 31, 2011)

3. In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan - Penguin (January 1, 2008)

4. The Seasons on Henry's Farm: A Year of Food and Life on a Sustainable Farm by Terra Brockman and Deborah Madison - Agate Surrey (April 28, 2010)

5.Food Inc.: A Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is Making Us Sicker, Fatter, and Poorer-And What You Can Do About It by Karl Weber and Participant Media - PublicAffairs (May 5, 2009)

6. Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter - Penguin (June 11, 2009)

7. The Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food by Ben Hewitt - Rodale (March 16, 2010)

8. Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms, and Fertility Mattered by Woody Tasch - Chelsea Green Publishing (November 12, 2008)

9. Food Matters by Mark Bittman - Simon & Schuster (December 30, 2008)

10. Farmer Jane by Temra Costa - Gibbs-Smith (July 29, 2010)

More recommended green ebooks lists:

Best ebooks for green entrepreneurs

Best green marketing ebooks

Best green business ebooks

See you next week!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Green book of the week: The Art of Eating In by Cathy Erway

After having the Green Books Campaign we're getting back to the tradition of presenting you each week an interesting green book. And today we have a book that is a great fit to the upcoming Thanksgiving feast.

Our book is:
The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove

Author: Cathy Erway
Cathy Erway is a Brooklyn-based food blogger and freelance writer. Her blog, www.NoteatingoutinNewYork.com is based on a two-year mission to forego restaurant and take-out food in place of home-cooked meals.

Cathy began cooking at an early age, learning from her parents, who are both avid cooks and adventurous eaters. She studied creative writing at Emerson College. She has written for The Huffington Post, Time Out NY online, and various small online magazines, and has a feature article in Edible Brooklyn. She has hosted, competed in, or served as a judge at numerous cook-offs in NYC and participated in fundraiser events for Slow Food USA. Cathy has also taught cooking classes at Garden of Eve, a Long Island based farm.

Publisher: Gotham

Published on: February 2010

What this book is about? (from the publisher's website)

In the city where dining out is a sport, one daring gourmand swears off restaurants and commits to cooking at home in a manifesto for a new generation of conscientious eaters.

Named one of Publishers Weekly's most exciting cookbook deals, Cathy Erway's timely memoir of quitting restaurants cold turkey speaks to a new era of conscientious eating. An underpaid, twentysomething executive assistant in New York City, she was struggling to make ends meet when she decided to embark on a Walden-esque retreat from the high-priced eateries that drained her wallet. The Art of Eating In reports on the delectable results of her twenty-four-month experiment, with thirty original recipes included.

What began as a way to save money left Erway with a new appreciation for the simple pleasure of sharing a meal with friends at home, a trove of original recipes, and a greater awareness of take-out food waste and whether her ingredients were ethically grown. She also explored the antirestaurant underground of supper clubs and cook-offs, and immersed herself in an array of alternative eating lifestyles from freeganism to picking tasty greens in the park. The Art of Eating In is a personal journey that transforms the reader as it transformed the writer, about the joy of getting back in the kitchen and turning something seemingly ordinary into something completely extraordinary.

What we think about it?
I mentioned that is book is a great fit with Thanksgiving because all in all this book is about the joy of food, and not just food (well, even junk food is technically food..) but good food that is prepared at home and is consumed with family and/or friends. And Thanksgiving is maybe the holiday that comes as close as it gets to this definition.

For the author, although it is a journey full of discoveries, the joy food does not come as a complete surprise as she comes from a family with a tradition of cooking and appreciation of the social aspects of food consumption. You can see it in her description of the Thanksgiving feast at her parents:

"At holiday gatherings with my family, rarely does cooking cease to be the center of activity. I don't see this as a strange quirk, or as archaic. Cooking and feeding one another are ways of playing out family roles as much as they are acts of necessity when your are with a big group of family members all in once. They were also an expression of hospitality for our guests."

It might not look strange to her, but the whole book is describing a food culture that is strange to most Americans.

As mentioned not too long ago in Grist, a survey conducted French food sociologist Claude Fischler and his colleagues, which surveyed 7,000 people from the United States and five European nations (France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and England) about their attitudes toward food and health, found a spectrum of attitudes, with the U.S. occupying one extreme end and France, the other. Grist described the American side of this spectrum:

Here in the good ol' U.S. of A, our national identity as disparate, atomized individuals is reflected in how we see our food: nothing more than a sum of individual nutrients that can be customized to fit the health needs and tastes of the individual. Americans value choice in their diets above almost all else. They want to build a diet especially for their bodies and what they choose to put in their bodies is always their choice.

Fischler explained in a lecture at the University of Washington that "the simple act of eating involves more than just you and your food -- society is also present, in the customs, in the place, and in your companions (or lack thereof)." Erway agrees with him: "The need to prepare food and to consume it is what tamed humans into living in interdependent societies instead of individually as hunter gatherers...Coming to the table for an unquestionably enjoyable act - eating - allowed for human interaction either meaningful or mundane - essentially, the opportunity to commune."

The journey of Erway explores not only the abandonment of restaurants and takeouts, but also other alternative ways of food consumption such as freeganism and urban foraging. In all, this is far more than just another experience of "a year without _______", which became so popular in the last couple of years. I see it more as unlocking the doors of food of perception that dominates the current Western food culture. This is an enjoyable journey into the land of sustainable food consumption, full with great recipes and honest personal accounts from what seems to be the busiest kitchen in Brooklyn. Last but not least, here's a warning: This book will make you hungry to be prepared!

Final green comment: Inside the book, published by Gotham Books, a member of Penguin Group, there is no mention of the paper the book is printed on, so I can't know for sure if it is printed on environmental paper or not. Having said that, given Pearson's paper purchasing policy (Pearson is the parent company of Penguin US), there's a good chance it is printed on recycled or FSC-certified paper. In any event, due to the issues the book deals with, we thought it earns the right to be part of our green books recommendations.

Disclosure: We received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Green book of the week: Farmer Jane by Temra Costa (including an interview with the author)

If you were surprised by the fact that Michelle Obama took last Friday the spouses of 32 world leaders on a trip to the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in New York, then you really shouldn't. Sustainable and local food is becoming an increasingly significant topic and the First Lady is one of its leading supporters.

And she is not the only woman involved in this growing industry. A growing number of women is dominating the field and 30 of them are profiled in the new book of Temra Costa, Farmer Jane, which is our green book of the week.

Here are some more details about this book:

Title: Farmer Jane: Women Changing The Way We Eat

What the book is about:
Farmer Jane profiles thirty women in the sustainable food industry, describing their agriculture and business models and illustrating the amazing changes they are making in how we connect with food. These advocates for creating a more holistic and nurturing food and agriculture system also answer questions on starting a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, how to get involved in policy at local and national levels, and how to address the different types of renewable energy and finance them.

Author: Temra Costa
Temra Costa is a nationally recognized sustainable food and farming advocate. She has written for numerous publications on hot-button issues such as Farm to School, eating locally, food safety, and how to create regional food systems. Her previous role as statewide director of California’s Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign, and other positions held with Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), worked to engage stakeholders in our food system, from farm to fridge.

Temra works, cooks, gardens and writes in the East Bay of California. She's a radio show co-host on Green 960 (www.thegreenmorning.com), works as a sustainable food systems consultant for various businesses, and speaks at events throughout the year.

Publisher: Gibbs Smith Publishers

This is a very interesting book on an extremely interesting issue and I really enjoyed reading these personal stories, so I decided to ask the author for an interview to learn more about it.

Hello, Temra. What was the reason you decided to write this book, focusing on women in the sustainable food world?

The timing was right! As women are taking more leadership roles in the food and farming sector as well as the business world in general.

How did you choose the women that you profile in the book?

I chose the women in Farmer Jane by sending out a call for nominations. I received responses from all over the country. It was really amazing.

From the 30 women you profile on your book, what story you felt mostly connected to on a personal level?

Almost all of the women talk about heart and community. Language that we're starting to hear more about - at least the community part.

You write in the introduction to the book that women "have long been underrepresented in the public sphere about the sheer amount of work they do, at home and outside of the home" - do you believe this is still the case when we have such prominent women figures leading what you describe as the "delicious revolution", from Michelle Obama and Alice Waters to Anna Lappe and Judy Wicks?

Women are still making less than men and will continue to be under acknowledged as long as the work that they do in the home, with family and with community is not valued.

Did you learn anything that surprised you while working on the book with regards to the role of women in the sustainable food industry?

Yeah, there are a lot of women ranchers out there! Second to women entering farming and food businesses because of the interest in local foods is women cattle ranchers that are succeeding their husbands. It's hard to imagine running a ranch without your partner but so many women are!

Why do you think we see so many women involved with urban farming?

It's small scale, serves and builds community, can be done in spare time, accesses volunteerism and has an immediate purpose.

Do you think that we'll continue to see so many women in key roles if and when the sustainable food industry will shift from a movement to an industry that is more focused on its business side?

This is a great question. I hope they are hired in the droves to do what they love and to make economic sense of it. Ultimately, it is our economic system that undervalues food and food producers. This needs to change so that people can make a right livelihood without "going corporate."

The sustainable food industry is still relatively small in size - do you believe we'll see it going mainstream in the near future?

Not as long as our FDA and USDA is being primarily run by the food companies that we need them to protect us from. Seriously, sustainable food, diversified foods, handmade foods are counter capitalistic models because they are time intensive and more hands on way of producing food.

Restructuring the food system will happen out of necessity due to water shortages and distribution challenges that will start to make local food a environmental and economic choice for businesses. Right now it's still riding a local food washing phase where there is a shift happening, but not to the scale that those marketing it to people require.

What you're working on these days? Any new book in the horizon?

Definitely! I've really loved talking about this subject and in traveling around and celebrating women of food in various communities around the country. I've got a few Farmer Jane sequel ideas that I'm working on at the moment.

Thank you, Temra! To learn more about Farmer Jane visit http://www.farmerjane.org/.

You're welcome to pick up Farmer Jane at your local, independently-owned bookstore. To find an independent store near you, click here.

In case you don't have an indie store close by, the book is also available on Amazon.

For wholesale orders, contact Gibbs Smith Publisher directly:
http://www.gibbs-smith.com/client/client_pages/sales.cfm

Yours, Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting   sustainable reading!

Green Options - An Interview with Bryant Terry, Eco-Chef, Author and Food Justice Activist

As part of Eco-Libris' ongoing content partnership with Green Options Media, we feature a post that was originally published by Beth Bader on April 9th on Eat. Drink. Better. Today's post include an interview with one of the most impressive figures in the field of local and sustainable food - Bryant Terry (and don't forget to check the Eco-Soul Food recipe).



Bryant Terry is described as an “eco-chef” is the co-author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen, He has appeared on television as guest chef on three episodes of the BET series “My Two Cents,” and the Sundance Channel’s original series “Big Ideas for a Small Planet.” Bryant is also a host on “The Endless Feast,” a 13-episode PBS series that explores the connection between the earth and the food on our plates. Online, Terry contributes blog posts on Eco-Soul Food on TheRoot.com where he pairs locally-sourced soul food recipes with soundtracks.

While Terry’s eco-chef work is impressive, his role as an activist for “Food Justice” is truly compelling. Terry founded b-healthy! (Build Healthy Eating and Lifestyles to Help Youth) in 2001. The program is a five-year initiative created to raise awareness about food justice issues. It aims to empower youth to be active in creating a more just and sustainable food system.

Terry also initiated the Black and Green Food Justice Fund. Terry, along with three other activists, seeks out community-based projects that promote food justice and offers grants and support.

This year, Terry has started a third effort, the Southern Organic Kitchen Project. With the help of a Kellogg Foundation Food and Society Policy Fellowship, Terry’s program will educate primarily African-Americans living in the Southern United States about the connections between diet and health. The goal is to empower them to make educated choices about healthy foods and community food sources, as well as help participants understand their ability to influence local and state food policies. The project serves an important need as this specific population experiences a high proportion of hypertension, diabetes, and other obesity-related illnesses.

Bryant Terry managed to make some time to do an interview for Eat. Drink. Better. on his current projects just as he started major work on his next book due out in 2009, Organic Soul. Interview after the jump.

How did you learn to cook? Who inspires you as a chef?

Growing up in Memphis, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my grandparents observing them and helping out as much as possible. From early I was picky about what I ate (and everything else), so I started preparing my own meals with fastidious attention, teaching myself as I went along. Studying at the Natural Gourmet Institute refined my culinary skills.

As far as chefs that inspire me, I continue to be moved by mentors such as Alice Waters, Peter Berley, and Myra Kornfeld. Dan Barber’s food is top notch. And you have not truly eaten until you’ve had Marcus Samuelson’s 7-course Vegetarian Tasting Menu at Aquavit. I also read a lot of cookbooks and try new restaurants to keep my game tight.

How did you come to embrace local and sustainable foods?

Alongside my social, economic, and environmental analysis about the need to embrace local and sustainable foods developed a more selfish pull—flavor. I value the sensual pleasures of eating, and food that is local and grown without chemicals tastes better than food that has been shipped across the globe and/or sprayed with poisons. The fact that choosing these foods is good for our health, local economies, and the earth makes them that much more delicious.

The local food movement has been labeled “elitist” for many reasons, what are the things we can all do to change this and help make healthy, local and sustainable food available to everyone?

I don’t necessarily think that the local foods movement is elitist, I simply think that communities are self-interested. In order to ensure that historically-excluded communities have access to grub members of those communities need to ask/cajole/pressure/demand that existing institutions in the communities (i.e., places of worship, community-based organizations, and the like) take the lead in creating locally-driven and community owned food systems.

In addition to people, many of these institutions have financial capital, land, and other resources. By creating community gardens, rooftop gardens, urban farms, Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), value added businesses, food buying clubs, food coops, local restaurants, and independently owned grocery stores, these institutions would not only address food injustice but also spur economic development, community beautification, youth empowerment, and a host of actions that would strengthen marginalized communities.
We all can ask/cajole/pressure/demand our elected officials to reform our Farm Bill so that it restores fairness to America’s food and farm policy; improves access to healthy, affordable foods in low-income and underserved communities; and expands market opportunities for small and mid-sized farms.

What is one of the greatest barriers to attaining “food justice?”

The unfair and wasteful commodity programs that benefit agribusiness with multi-million dollar payouts.

Tell me what’s happening with your Southern Organic Kitchen project? How is it going?

Right now I am partnering with some churches and community-based organizations in the South to create replicable models that illustrate the powerful role that similar institutions can play in creating community-based food systems. 2009 is going to be BIG!

The “local” food label sounds homogenous, I love that you are showing how foods reflect a culture and really define what is “local.” Can you share a favorite Eco-Soul Food recipe?

Sure:

Sweet Cornmeal-Coconut Butter Drop Biscuits
Yield: about 24

Soundtrack: “Turn Left” by Little Dragon from Little Dragon

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup medium grind cornmeal
2 tablespoons raw organic sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons chilled coconut butter
3/4 cup rice milk
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.

• In a large bowl sift together the flours, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Rub the coconut butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until the mixture resembles sand with pebbles.

• Combine the rice milk, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar and mix well. Then, make a well in the center of the flour pebbles, add the rice milk, and stir just until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

• Drop walnut-sized balls of dough from a spoon onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.

So, TV series and appearances, a second cookbook, The Root and your other blogs, food justice projects and a Kellogg Foundation fellowship, how do you have time to cook?

It’s funny. I was thinking the other day maybe this whole cloning thing is not such a bad idea after all. I can create a Bryant who only focuses on writing. One who focuses on recipe testing. Another Bryant can make public appearances. Of course there has to be a Bryant who calls my parents every single day, lest they not think that I’m being a bad son. Then the original Bryant would have time to read pop culture blogs, watch YouTube videos, and eat Red Hot Blue Chips all day.

In all seriousness, because my book deadline is July 1st I’m pretty busy right now. But personal ecology is the most important thing to me, and if I am not maintaining balance, pacing, and efficiency to sustain my energy over a lifetime of work then I think it’s hypocritical to be working towards sustainability outside of me. So I’m committed to pumping the breaks this summer. My lady and I will be spending long stretches of time at the family cabin away from everything. No work. No computer. Just yoga, long walks, trees, fresh air, and the Yuba River. And cooking. . .

In your book, Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen, the recipes are organized by seasons and by a complete meal. What’s your favorite season and menu and why?

Summer is my favorite season, simply because Farmer’s Markets are so bountiful. My favorite menu is whatever I freestyle after visiting the farmer’s market.

The eat well guided tour of America

At Eco-Libris we love pies and that's why we were happy to read on Treehugger the story on Sustainable Table.

Sustainable Table , an educational group that celebrates the sustainable food movement, educates consumers on food-related issues and works to build community through food. Now they're on a road trip, searching for the best pie in America.

Now they're going in a biofueled bus and taking the scenic (and delicious) route to this year's Farm Aid Concert at Randall's Island in New York City on September 9. Their road trip across the country is in search of the best pie ever, and they are stopping along the way to check out some of the nation's most sustainable farms and restaurants.

Check it out on their website and join them if you can to support local and sustainable food and of course to enjoy America's best pies!

We'll keep following this journey, so we'll know where to find the best pie ;-).

Raz

btw - i just saw that they New York Times had today an article on the tour in the Dining Out section.