New Books in Food artwork

Sarah K. Mock, "Farm (and Other F Words): The Rise and Fall of the Small Family Farm" (New Degree Press, 2021)

New Books in Food

English - June 23, 2021 08:00 - 54 minutes - ★★★★★ - 9 ratings
Food Arts Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed


In Farm (and Other F Words): The Rise and Fall of the Small Family Farm (New Degree Press, 2021), Sarah K. Mock seeks to answer “what exactly do we mean by a Good Farm?” She looks at size, income, and age, among other factors that might be metrics of a Good Farm. Using USDA NASS data, farmer interviews, and experience Sarah shares some not so easy to hear perspectives. In this interview, Sarah discusses the systems at play, most working exactly as intended, that are preventing agribusiness from operating as businesses at all. We discuss the lack of mechanisms to remove ineffective or harmful farmers, why more farms don’t grow food (e.g., fruits and vegetables), and whether rich farmers grow food for poor people while poor farmers grow food for rich people. In the last moments of the book, and our interview, Sarah reveals a potential solution – Big Team Farms. What are they? Come find out.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/food

In Farm (and Other F Words): The Rise and Fall of the Small Family Farm (New Degree Press, 2021), Sarah K. Mock seeks to answer “what exactly do we mean by a Good Farm?” She looks at size, income, and age, among other factors that might be metrics of a Good Farm. Using USDA NASS data, farmer interviews, and experience Sarah shares some not so easy to hear perspectives. In this interview, Sarah discusses the systems at play, most working exactly as intended, that are preventing agribusiness from operating as businesses at all. We discuss the lack of mechanisms to remove ineffective or harmful farmers, why more farms don’t grow food (e.g., fruits and vegetables), and whether rich farmers grow food for poor people while poor farmers grow food for rich people. In the last moments of the book, and our interview, Sarah reveals a potential solution – Big Team Farms. What are they? Come find out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/food