Fisher Rachel - All the dirt: reflections on organic farming

We have a whole new understanding of the term labour of love after writing this book. As if being farmers wasnt hard enough, we had to go and write about it too! It could not have happened without the loving support of Heather and Rachels partners, who minded our farms while we were away on writing retreats, who put the kids to bed while we spent long hours at the computer, and who brought us coffee and chocolate to keep us going. Robin has been the glue that kept this project going by keeping the end vision in sight, planning island getaways for writing, and being ever-eager to have this book ready to present at the next conference.

The seed of the idea to write a book was first planted by Lara Fisher during a meeting with Robin and Rachel. Heather was away in North Carolina at the time visiting Lamonts family; she confided later that when she and Lamont heard the news that we were writing a book, they thought Robin must have overdosed on her thyroid medication! Our thanks to Lara for getting the ball rolling.

We are indebted to Catherine Etmanski for her gentle but thorough editing of our rough draft, which improved it immensely; to Lucy Mei Lee for the title of the book; and to Ireta Fisher for the use of her Mayne Island cottage for a writing retreat. We also want to thank the photographers among us who contributed many of the beautiful photos, most notably Jill Banting, Jesse Cottingham, and Madeleine Gauthier.

We would also like to acknowledge the people who make our farms viable: our box program subscribers, our market customers, and the chefs who order produce week in and week out. Special gratitude, of course, to those lovely chefs who have created giant feasts from our produce for our year-end parties: Brock, Louis and Genevieve, Mohammed, and Sheena.

Thank you to all those in our organic farming community, especially the IOPA and its members. Your spirit of co-operation rather than competition has made this community thrive and made us all better people, as well as better farmers.

Wed especially like to extend our thanks to Ruth Linka and the TouchWood publishing team. Your recognition and transformation of our diamond in the rough, and commitment to manifesting our vision in book form has made the process so meaningful and satisfying.

Last, but not least, wed like to thank the people who have gotten their hands dirty making our farms something worth writing about. We hesitate to try to name everyone, because well inevitably miss someone important, but heres our best shot (with apologies in advance for omissions): Cyra, Wendy, Chrystal, Ilya, Larkin, Jeremy, Ali, Aida, Ian, Hannah, Dara, Kate, Alex S., Melanie, Karen, Julie, Scott, Alex M., Jessie J., Jesse H., Sasha, Lindsay, Mik, Dennis, Pat (Mom), Gord (Dad), Matthew, Jenny, Scott L., Devin, Aaron, Jennie, Karlyn, Tim, Cat, Brenda, Gracie, Barb, Chantal, Jen, Joshua, John, Jill, Carly, Jesse C., Vanessa, Kat, Kate, Briar, Hannah, Steve, Kira, Liz, Carla, Justin, Peter, Randi, Catherine E., Andrew, Caleb, Nadia, Sachiko, Jesse, Catherine L., Paula, Rachelle, Paul, Chris, Ken, and dear Angie, who has appeared at the Moss Street Community Market every week to help us set up our booth for so many years that we have lost track.

Foodshed
An Edible Alberta Alphabet
by dee Hobsbawn-Smith

Winner of Best Food Literature (Canada) at the 2012 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

Voted best Alberta cookbook in CBC Books' Cross-Country Cookbook Shelf

In this intimate guide to Alberta's sustainable food scene, writer, poet, professional chef, and food advocate Dee Hobsbawn-Smith profiles more than seventy-five of the province's growers and producers. Learn the A to Z's of each producer, from Asparagus growers to Zizania cultivators, and enjoy the twenty-six original recipes, one for each type of produce.

The book also examines the ground that farmers stand on: government involvement, sustainability and the environment, animal welfare, farm labour, and organizations from Slow Food to the grassroots Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement.

An (agri)cultural examination of modern farming that offers a clear look at current government policies and sustainable growers' best practices, Foodshed sets forth some of the issues that modern farmers face, as seen by the growers themselves.

Foodshed is a rich encyclopedia of facts, farm-gate lore and original recipes. Its also a politically engaging narrative in which Hobsbawn-Smith articulates the challenges and joys faced by small-scale producers. The Globe and Mail

Heritage Apples
A New Sensation
by Susan Lundy

Heritage Apples travels far beyond the grocery store of today to savor the apples of the past. These are the apple varietiesthe Gravensteins, the Kings, the red-fleshed Pink Pearlthat link us to history, but through food movements and taste preferences are remerging as the fruit of the future. Heritage apples evoke memories and passion for some; for others they offer delicious, unexplored flavors and a connection to local farmers.

Discover the histories behind the apples, and learn some startling apple facts. Identify the taste, appearance, and uses of 40 different heritage varieties and gain useful growing and harvesting information. Meet apple growers, cider-makers, and people fighting to preserve heritage apples, and join a lifestyle that embraces local and slow food movements. Then try the recipes! Create delicious apple-based dishes, such as Chickpea-Apple Curry, French Apple Clafouti, Tarte Tatin, Apple Brownies, Apple Pie, and more. Expand your knowledge of one of our most popular fruits and celebrate its history with Heritage Apples.

Taking this bite into the world of heritage apples was not only informative and entertaining but also inspiring. By capturing these tales of pioneering apple growers, future generations can move forward by staying connected to what has gone before. Carolyn Herriot, author of The Zero-Mile Diet

The Deerholme Mushroom Book
From Foraging to Feasting
by Bill Jones

Expand your culinary knowledge of wild and cultivated mushrooms with this comprehensive cookbook by award-winning writer and chef Bill Jones. Learn from an acknowledged expert in the field of wild foods how to source mushrooms through foraging, shopping, and growing, and get a thorough overview of the common types of wild and cultivated fungi. Gain insight into the medicinal and cultural uses of mushrooms, and reap the health benefits of simple, unprocessed food.

Delicious recipes for basic pantry preparations, soups, salads, meats, seafood, and vegetable dishes, all featuring mushrooms, include: Truffle Potato Croquettes; Mushroom Pate; Porcini Naan; Semolina Mushroom Cake; Beef Tenderloin and Oyster Mushroom Carpaccio; Curried Mushroom and Coconut Bisque. The Deerholme Mushroom Book is every chefs essential guide to edible mushrooms.

What a book! I love itmainly because it's as thorough and intense as the man himself. A fully referenced field guide and a collection of utterly delicious recipes, its destined to be a classic. Anita Stewart, Culinary Activist, Author, Founder of Cuisine Canada