"This is an insider's view, and Raskin offers readers insights into a hidden California. The impact of his book is to return culture to agriculture in a state dominated by agribusiness."--Gerald Haslam, author of The Great Central Valley: California's Heartland "Jonah Raskin has lived and taught in this area for well over thirty years and has the credibility to write about the evolution of farming here. His book is a magical mixture of journalism and memoir. I loved his interviews with local farmers and growers. He explores the questions that we all are asking about our relationship to food and what it means to eat locally, who grows it, and will they be able to continue to do so."--Ianthe Brautigan, author of You Can't Catch Death: A Daughter's Memoir "'Think global, buy local' takes on new meaning in this intriguing synthesis of memoir and reportage on the slow and local food movements."--Peter Laufer, author of Wetback Nation and The Dangerous World of Butterflies "Anyone wanting to know what it's like to live in the paradise that is Sonoma County must read Field Days . Jonah Raskin brings this blessed region and its communities of environmental champions vividly to life."--Jeff Cox, author of The Organic Cook's Bible and The Organic Food Shopper's Guide "In Jonah Raskin's wonderfully observant ramble through Sonoma County's farms, orchards, and vineyards, it becomes abundantly clear that American farming has not been killed off by agribusiness, or the Department of Agriculture's call to 'get big or get out'. With Raskin we meet a rich community of amazing people who have stayed on the land, or gone back to it, sharing a new kind of ecologically informed consciousness about our intimate connections to the land and the people who work it. Anybody who reads this book, wherever they live, will gain a new appreciation of this new generation of farmers. Thanks to them, we're learning to eat well--a basic necessity in the hard times ahead."--Ernest Callenbach, author of Ecotopia "In Field Days , Jonah Raskin becomes the George Plimpton of organic farming. Instead of getting out on the playing field to measure his stuff against pro athletes, he toils long days beside farm workers. Soulful and always curious, Raskin traces the tradition of responsible farming practices in Northern California, and explores the meaning of living locally."--Bart Schneider, author of The Man in the Blizzard

Stephen Fisher was born into an Old Order Amish family at the beginning of the Great Depression, the 8th child born of 15, placing him right in the middle of the birth order. Among his many challenges, he had a father who struggled to communicate and a mother who worked hard to make up the difference - only to become overwhelmed by life. Steve and his brothers were farmed out at a young age to work in order to help the family survive tough times. The boys spent their summers away from home and what little money they earned went straight to the family. Steve decided at an early age that he did not want to follow the Amish ways and at the age of 16 left in the middle of the night with everything he owned wrapped in a handkerchief...and so his journey began. This book takes you through his story of nine decades, including service in the Korean War, meeting and marrying the love of his life, raising a family of his, and building a multi-million dollar business. His extreme curiosity moved him into a world that provided opportunities he never could have dreamed of on his own. Ultimately, Steve's life is about the blessings God provided and what he did with them. He was many things in his life....but above all, he was driven.

Step into the halcyon world of pre-war England through the eyes of George Sherston, the fictionalized alter ego of poet and war hero Siegfried Sassoon. In "Memoirs of a Fox-hunting Man", Sassoon masterfully captures the innocence of youth, the thrill of the hunt, and the deep, abiding connection to a countryside untouched by the horrors of the Great War. Through Sherston’s adventures—on horseback and off—readers are immersed in the gentle rhythms of country life, the camaraderie of the hunting field, and the quiet introspections of a young man coming of age. Yet beneath the light-hearted tales and sporting escapades lies an undercurrent of change, as the encroaching reality of war looms over this idyllic existence. Sassoon’s prose is at once nostalgic and sharply observant, offering a portrait of an era and a generation on the cusp of irrevocable transformation. Whether you are a lover of classic literature, historical fiction, or poignant coming-of-age stories, this evocative narrative offers both a window into a vanished world and a powerful commentary on the innocence lost to war.

[Jamee] As we talked, a thought came to me and I told her that, when we first came to know each other, I was fourteen years old, Sharon was thirteen, and you (Joan) were ten. That means that, for over fifty years, you two have been the closest thing to sisters I'll ever have and I just can't believe that she's [Sharon] gone. [Richard] And now Joan is gone, too. She died on September 30, 2022. That leaves Jamee and me as the only ones left of that generation.