Fields of Learning makes a strong case for reorganizing the way we produce food in this country, specifically claiming that we put more people on the land—many more, not fewer, as has been the calamitous trend during the 'agribusiness' Reign of Error. And if it hasn't been obvious to educators that their institutions should actually help fix what Wes Jackson calls the 'eyes-to-acre ratio,' it ought to be now. This is a timely and hopeful book.
~Jason Peters, editor of Wendell Berry: Life and Work
The opportunity for students to spend time learning on campus farms is not just a good idea–-it should be mandatory.
~Gary Hirshberg, President & CEO, Stonyfield Farm
Some books are interesting, but not necessary. Others are necessary, but not interesting. Fields of Learning is a necessary book, and thankfully, interesting.
~Wes Jackson, author of Consulting the Genius of the Place: An Ecological Approach to a New Agriculture
With only 1 1/2% of all Americans identifying themselves as farmers, our most urgent national security need is to recruit the coming generation of food producers in both rural and urban landscapes. Sayre and Clark provide an essential service toward meeting this need by showing how the student farm movement is doing more to train the future leaders of North America's food system than the Farm Bureau may be doing. Their lovely and inspiring message should be heard by all.
~Gary Paul Nabhan, PhD, "father" of the local food movement, author of Coming Home to Eat and Where Our Food Comes From
As young, aspiring land stewards flock to the farm-food localization movement, Fields of Learning offers a blueprint for farm-school endeavors. What a wonderful addition to the how-to component that will energize a modern generation of Jeffersonian intellectual agrarians.
~Joel Salatin, Polyface Farm
Fields of Learning helps answer the question, 'Where will future food, and more importantly, future farmers, come from?' It is inspiring and imminently practical, hopeful and instructive. The book illustrates the deep roots of the student farm movement, while planting seeds for future harvest. It is timely, relevant, and insightful, and should help restore food production as a multi-disciplinary, intelligent, and highly valued profession.
~Jim Riddle, Organic Outreach Coordinator, UMN-Southwest Research and Outreach Center
The collection of essays... explores 'the next generation of farmers,' offering concrete answers to urgent questions surrounding who will be growing our food — and how — in the coming generations.
~Prescott College
Sayre and Clark investigate student farming not only through the lens of sustainability but also as an opportunity for experiential learning, with the capability of teaching valuable lessons about the global market, biology, engineering, anthropology, and more.
~Hampshire College
Laura Sayre and Sean Clark compiled essays from staff on 15 farms to illustrate the trials, tribulations and sheer joys of establishing and maintaining such enterprises.
~USA Today
This book not only showcases successful undergraduate farm experiences, but alos provides an inventory of all US and Canadian student farm projects, including their age, size, and production foci.... Highly recommended.
~Choice
An excellent book, useful for anyone interested in the past, or the future, of the student farm movement.
~Journal of Agricultural & Food Information
Fields of Learning provides a useful first look at a phenomenon that promises to become an important part of debates on the future of agriculture in America.
~Dona Brown, University of Vermont
Fields of Learning proposes lofty, worthy goals that may not be achieved as soon as its authors hope, but it is nevertheless inspiring, thought-provoking reading.
