Novella Carpenter

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

New Jersey

The Education of an Urban Farmer

Urban and rural collide in this wry, inspiring memoir of a woman who turned a vacant lot in downtown Oakland into a thriving farm

Novella Carpenter loves cities-the culture, the crowds, the energy. At the same time, she can't shake the fact that she is the daughter of two back-to-the-land hippies who taught her to love nature and eat vegetables. Ambivalent about repeating her parents' disastrous mistakes, yet drawn to the idea of backyard self-sufficiency, Carpenter decided that it might be possible to have it both ways: a homegrown vegetable plot as well as museums, bars, concerts, and a twenty-four-hour convenience mart mere minutes away. Especially when she moved to a ramshackle house in inner city Oakland and discovered a weed-choked, garbage-strewn abandoned lot next door. She closed her eyes and pictured heirloom tomatoes, a beehive, and a chicken coop.

What started out as a few egg-laying chickens led to turkeys, geese, and ducks. Soon, some rabbits joined the fun, then two three-hundred-pound pigs. And no, these charming and eccentric animals weren't pets; she was a farmer, not a zookeeper. Novella was raising these animals for dinner. Novella Carpenter's corner of downtown Oakland is populated by unforgettable characters. Lana (anal spelled backward, she reminds us) runs a speakeasy across the street and refuses to hurt even a fly, let alone condone raising turkeys for Thanksgiving. Bobby, the homeless man who collects cars and car parts just outside the farm, is an invaluable neighborhood concierge. The turkeys, Harold and Maude, tend to escape on a daily basis to cavort with the prostitutes hanging around just off the highway nearby. Every day on this strange and beautiful farm, urban meets rural in the most surprising ways.

For anyone who has ever grown herbs on their windowsill, tomatoes on their fire escape, or obsessed over the offerings at the local farmers' market, Carpenter's story will capture your heart. And if you've ever considered leaving it all behind to become a farmer outside the city limits, or looked at the abandoned lot next door with a gleam in your eye, consider this both a cautionary tale and a full-throated call to action. Farm City is an unforgettably charming memoir, full of hilarious moments, fascinating farmers' tips, and a great deal of heart. It is also a moving meditation on urban life versus the natural world and what we have given up to live the way we do.

Farm City

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A former library book, perfectly readable and should hold up to a lot of reading, but there is the usual kind of damage #hardcover #gardening #farming 

Missouri

Urban and rural collide in this wry, inspiring memoir of a woman who turned avacant lot in downtown Oakland into a thriving farm.

Category - Non Fiction / Body, Mind & Spirit

Format - Hardcover

Condition - Good

Listed - 17 days ago

Views - 1

Ships From - New Jersey

Est. Publication Date - Jun 2009

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Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer

ISBN: 9781594202216

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Category - Non Fiction / Body, Mind & Spirit

Format - Hardcover

Condition - Good

Listed - 17 days ago

Views - 1

Ships From - New Jersey

Est. Publication Date - Jun 2009

Seller Description

Additional Information

Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer

ISBN: 9781594202216

Publisher Description

Tags

Farm City

By:

$4.00

Meet the seller

Discover more

Farm City

By: Novella Carpenter

More from this seller

Additional titles by Novella Carpenter

'Farm City' readers also enjoyed:

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