Argues that modern agribusiness moves farming away from the family and respect for the land, replacing these values with the cold pursuit of profit.

"Written from the perspective of ordinary people, this book traces the history of agriculture in the United States from early colonists until today. The first concise history of American agriculture in 25 years, the author focuses attention on recent developments such as the decline of tobacco, green revolution, farm-to-table, and food security"--

Beth Hoffman was living the good life: she had a successful career as a journalist and professor, a comfortable home in San Francisco, and plenty of close friends and family. Yet in her late 40s, she and her husband decided to leave the big city and move to his family ranch in Iowa—all for the dream of becoming a farmer, to put into practice everything she had learned over decades of reporting on food and agriculture. There was just one problem:...

Discusses the challenges communities face in protecting farmland, especially in the face of urban growth, and describes strategies landowners and communities can use to ensure farmland preservation. Includes model zoning ordinances, and other related documents.

"A bold, science-based corrective to the groundswell of misinformation about food and how it's produced, examining in detail local and organic food, food companies, nutrition labeling, ethical treatment of animals, environmental impacts, and every other aspect from farm to table. Consumers want to know more about their food--including the farm it came from, the chemicals used, the nutrition value, how the animals were treated, and costs to the environment....