Turning the Soil 250 Years of Vermont Agriculture
Turning the Soil 250 Years of Vermont Agriculture
Turning the Soil 250 Years of Vermont Agriculture
Description
Description
Roger Allbee has a deep-rooted connection to Vermont's agricultural history. Growing up on a hilltop farm in a rural town, Roger witnessed the strength and persistence of his family, who has farmed the land since 1794. Turning the Soil explores great turning points in agricultural history, encountering the stories of farmers and their families, agricultural leaders, and various figures who shaped Vermont's farming culture. Changes in both the industry and land use have been inevitable and constant; Turning the Soil delves into the challenges that have shaped this changing landscape, from the settlement of the West to the advent of modern transportation and refrigeration. These changes continue to impact the economic sustainability of farmers today, lending relevance to the current agricultural landscape. Includes photos and historical maps.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
Roger Allbee's beautiful book gives us a 250-year overview of Vermonters working on and living off their land, from the arrival of new settlers from Massachusetts and Connecticut, seeking land of their own by way of the New Hampshire grants and then defending their new land from tax predators in New York and New Hampshire until, under the leadership of the notorious Allen brothers, the short-lived Republic of Vermont was formed.
The continuing thread in this finely researched book... is the embrace of hard work in the face of endless challenges wrought by change and the deep connection between Vermonters and their working landscape. But unlike most historical perspectives...(the)native Vermont author makes clear how the past continually informs the future initiative of rugged Vermont farmers and business entrepreneurs.
-Bill Schubart for The Charlotte News
Vermonters appreciate the value of our working landscape. Roger Albee's book, "Turning the Soil" recounts the evolution of agriculture in Vermont, from wool to lumber to dairy.
It's important to understand that change has been constant over the years because now we are transitioning away the family dairy farms and thousands of acres need repurposing.
-Will Patten, author of Rescuing Capitalism Vermont Shows A Way
No one is more steeped in the past, present, and future of Vermont's agriculture than Brookline's Roger Allbee, 80, who has just published a page-turner of a book, Turning the Soil: 250 Years of Vermont Agriculture.
-Joyce Marcel in The Commons
... [Turning the Soil] is a good starting point for anyone who wants to put the current hand-wringing over the fate of Vermont farming in a historical context.
- Candace Page for Seven Days
... (Albee's) observation is that "a vibrant working landscape must work economically." That simple truth is so often overlooked in nostalgic or romanticized views of farming. His clarity on the need for systemic policy support if rural economies are to thrive is, I think, critical wisdom for all of us who care about shaping the future of our communities...What a gift Roger Allbee has given Vermonters!
-Barre Montpelier Times Argus
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
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