Love for the Land

A moving exploration of presence and place told through the stories of small-scale farmers who, despite intense adversity, continue caring for their land. "Love for the Land" explores the power and potential of people-place relationships. Through clear and compelling prose, it elevates the virtues of imagination, affection, and fidelity – concepts promoted by farmer-writer Wendell Berry – and shows how they motivate small and midsized farmers to care for the land, even in the face of intense adversity. Paying particular attention to farmland loss from haphazard suburban sprawl, rampant agricultural consolidation, and, for farmers of color, racial injustice, Brooks Lamb reckons with the harsh realities that smaller-scale farmers face. Relying on in-depth interviews and hands-on experiences in two changing rural communities, he shares stories and sacrifices from dozens of farmers, local leaders, agricultural service providers, and land conservationists. Lamb's rural roots and farming background enable him to cultivate honest, trusting connections with the farmers he engages, yielding raw and powerful insights. Time and again, compelling evidence reveals that stewardship virtues encourage people to live and act as devoted caretakers. With a refreshing, accessible, and engaging approach, Lamb argues that these resilient and often overlooked farmers show rural and urban people alike a way forward, one that serves people, places, and the planet. That path is rooted in love for the land.