'Walden' by Henry David Thoreau

Walden is a book that doesn’t really need to be reviewed at this point – it is well-known enough that many have already read it, or at least they know a lot about it. Walden is the story of Thoreau's time living in a small cabin on Walden pond in Massachusetts. He contructs his own home in the most affordable way possible and lives by eating the most economical foods available, for example he grows his own field of beans. A common misconception may be that some people believed that Thoreau lived in isolation in his cabin, though the truth is that he had frequent visitors and he walked to town nearly every day.

I feel compelled to write about Thoreau's experience, because his life was in many ways an inspiration for other books that I've read recently. Both Siesta Lane and The Dirty Life are books about people who want to simplify and connect with their environment in a more meaningful way. Are you interested in living more simply or naturally? Walden is a great starting point.

Walden is available in the Lincoln College Library!

'The Dirty Life' by Kristin Kimball

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of self-sustaining, organic farming. I like the idea of safe, natural, healthy foods. I like the idea of thinking locally. I like the idea of food being a product of family. And, strange as it may sound, I really like the idea of hard physical labor. These are all things that are covered by Kimball’s The Dirty Life.

Kristin Kimball is a single, 30-something travel writer living in New York City when she meets the farmer who eventually becomes her husband. The two of them find land in upstate New York and begin a farm with a seemingly simple mission – to create a community supported farm that will provide members with all of the foods needed to feed a family year-round. This means farming grains, vegetables, fruits, poultry, beef and dairy products. Kimball’s journey is fantastically interesting – the reader learns about many different aspects of farm life that city-folk (like me) may not appreciate. The intricacies of creating, equipping and maintaining the farm are mind-boggling, but Kimball describes it in a way that is accessible to people who don’t have a background in agriculture and require explanations.

The fact that Kimball and her husband were able to establish themselves is a wonderful thing to hear – there’s hope for those of us who would like for our lives to be less commercial and more local.