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Gaining Ground: A Story Of Farmers' Markets, Local Food, And Saving The Family Farm
One fateful day in 1996, after discovering that five freight cars' worth of glittering corn have reaped a tiny profit of $18.16, young Forrest Pritchard vows to save his family's farm. What ensues--through hilarious encounters with all manner of livestock and colorful local characters--is a crash course in sustainable agriculture. Pritchard's biggest ally is his renegade father, who initially questions his son's career choice and rejects organic foods for sugary mainstream fare. But just when the farm starts to turn heads at local farmers' markets, his father's health takes a turn for the worse. With poetry and humor, this inspiring memoir tugs on the heartstrings and feeds the soul long after the last page is turned.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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July 8, 2015
I'm kind of a sucker for food documentaries... but I am so tired of all the horrifying, disgusting, show-it-all-for-the-shock-value type project. Yes, it gets that visceral reaction, and yes, maybe some take a hard look at their habits and start putting their money and support where their conscience is... but there's only so much cruelty that I can stomach when it comes to animals. And my tolerance is extremely low for it.
So it was lovely and refreshing and all sorts of happy-making that this book was uplifting and light and funny while at the same time being a pro-sustainable, pro-organic farm story. It didn't go off on a rant about Monsanto or fly off in a rage about the economic black hole that many farmers can be sucked into when entering into contracts with corporations... and didn't make me feel like I was a shitty person for not growing my own food in the postage stamp of my backyard, or make me feel like I am contributing to the never-ending suffering of animals because I don't know the names and lineage of the ones that I eat.
I loved that this book took a straightforward, non-judgemental approach, and Pritchard just told his story about what inspired him and what he wanted to do for his community. It's inspiring to me, and I learned just as much through his recounting his adventures in animal husbandry as I would have through horrifying tales of neglect and suffering... without all the nausea and guilt and heartache after.
I'm not usually one to love an uplifting book for the sake that it's uplifting. In fact, I tend to avoid them. But this story was just... Refreshing. Charming and funny and relateable and definitely worth the Audible credit. Highly recommended. Especially on audio, because the accents make the story.:)
So it was lovely and refreshing and all sorts of happy-making that this book was uplifting and light and funny while at the same time being a pro-sustainable, pro-organic farm story. It didn't go off on a rant about Monsanto or fly off in a rage about the economic black hole that many farmers can be sucked into when entering into contracts with corporations... and didn't make me feel like I was a shitty person for not growing my own food in the postage stamp of my backyard, or make me feel like I am contributing to the never-ending suffering of animals because I don't know the names and lineage of the ones that I eat.
I loved that this book took a straightforward, non-judgemental approach, and Pritchard just told his story about what inspired him and what he wanted to do for his community. It's inspiring to me, and I learned just as much through his recounting his adventures in animal husbandry as I would have through horrifying tales of neglect and suffering... without all the nausea and guilt and heartache after.
I'm not usually one to love an uplifting book for the sake that it's uplifting. In fact, I tend to avoid them. But this story was just... Refreshing. Charming and funny and relateable and definitely worth the Audible credit. Highly recommended. Especially on audio, because the accents make the story.:)
September 10, 2013
Wow! What a fun read. I can't recommend this book enough - everyone can enjoy it. It's a quick, easy read and you'll definitely learn something along the way.
I'll admit upfront that I've been buying meats (beef, lamb, chicken, pork) and eggs from Smith Meadows farm for the past 3-4 years - conveniently brought every Saturday morning to my local Del Ray farmers' market. I also used to go to the Arlington farmers' market where they also have a Saturday stand. It was in Arlington that I first met Forrest. He's one of the nicest, friendliest, warmest people you'll ever meet. From the moment I met him, I could tell that he's very passionate about his work, his farm, and his products. After about a year of buying from him, I decided to visit the farm - on their annual Farm Day. Forrest gave us a thorough and fully educational tour of the pastures and the various livestock raising techniques. The family and community feel on the farm is palpable.
So when I heard that Forrest had written a book, I pre-ordered it on Amazon and had it in my hot little hands as soon as it was released. I don't know what I was expecting other than a story about "life on the farm" - I was not expecting the absolutely entertaining tale of perseverance that Forrest weaves. I couldn't believe that half that stuff happened... and kept happening... and yet he stuck with his goal of turning around the family farm and making it work in these crazy, modern times we live in. He effortlessly blends farming 101 with humorous anecdotes and family tragedies and life lessons. It's really a hard book to put down. I read it in just a day or so. My dad even read it cover-to-cover within 36 hours and he hardly ever reads anything. He LOVED it!
It's a great slice of life story, but with the added insights into: what are we, as Americans, eating these days? why? how can we have healthy food and more environmental responsible farms? what will it take to make that happen?
My dad finished this book and instantly wanted to drive from eastern Pennsylvania to the Smith Meadows farm near West Virginia - just to load up on a freezer full of goodies. But I reminded him that the real lesson from Forrest's book is that there are local farmers all across the U.S. and there are wonderful local farmers near most of us - go out and support them. You'll be glad you did!
I'll admit upfront that I've been buying meats (beef, lamb, chicken, pork) and eggs from Smith Meadows farm for the past 3-4 years - conveniently brought every Saturday morning to my local Del Ray farmers' market. I also used to go to the Arlington farmers' market where they also have a Saturday stand. It was in Arlington that I first met Forrest. He's one of the nicest, friendliest, warmest people you'll ever meet. From the moment I met him, I could tell that he's very passionate about his work, his farm, and his products. After about a year of buying from him, I decided to visit the farm - on their annual Farm Day. Forrest gave us a thorough and fully educational tour of the pastures and the various livestock raising techniques. The family and community feel on the farm is palpable.
So when I heard that Forrest had written a book, I pre-ordered it on Amazon and had it in my hot little hands as soon as it was released. I don't know what I was expecting other than a story about "life on the farm" - I was not expecting the absolutely entertaining tale of perseverance that Forrest weaves. I couldn't believe that half that stuff happened... and kept happening... and yet he stuck with his goal of turning around the family farm and making it work in these crazy, modern times we live in. He effortlessly blends farming 101 with humorous anecdotes and family tragedies and life lessons. It's really a hard book to put down. I read it in just a day or so. My dad even read it cover-to-cover within 36 hours and he hardly ever reads anything. He LOVED it!
It's a great slice of life story, but with the added insights into: what are we, as Americans, eating these days? why? how can we have healthy food and more environmental responsible farms? what will it take to make that happen?
My dad finished this book and instantly wanted to drive from eastern Pennsylvania to the Smith Meadows farm near West Virginia - just to load up on a freezer full of goodies. But I reminded him that the real lesson from Forrest's book is that there are local farmers all across the U.S. and there are wonderful local farmers near most of us - go out and support them. You'll be glad you did!
August 2, 2013
Part memoir, part how-to, this book by Berryville, Virginia farmer Forrest Pritchard is worth your time. Early on, Pritchard makes the case for writing the book: the world needs books written about farming. I hadn't thought about it before but he is right. Pritchard also makes the case for growing and buying local, particularly in respect to farmer's markets. (In fact, he saw his farm finally begin to make a financial turn-around thanks to the Arlington Courthouse market.) He refuses to sell to potential long distance customers, instead encouraging them to find a local farmer who does what he does. And if they don't? He advises you to invite some farmers over for dinner and ask them to get started!
I met Pritchard while sitting with him as he signed books outside of Westover Library in Arlington. I found him keenly intelligent and equally kind. I watched for four hours as he shared his story, but also his advice, with shoppers and other farmers. The book carries his voice well - his jokes that would take me a minute to understand, his quiet contemplation before answering, his equilibrium when, as a meat producer, he was faced with someone who was opposed to killing animals.
If healthy eating and the American farm are important to you, read Omnivore's Dilemma first. Read this next. And then find your local farmer's market and start shopping there.
I met Pritchard while sitting with him as he signed books outside of Westover Library in Arlington. I found him keenly intelligent and equally kind. I watched for four hours as he shared his story, but also his advice, with shoppers and other farmers. The book carries his voice well - his jokes that would take me a minute to understand, his quiet contemplation before answering, his equilibrium when, as a meat producer, he was faced with someone who was opposed to killing animals.
If healthy eating and the American farm are important to you, read Omnivore's Dilemma first. Read this next. And then find your local farmer's market and start shopping there.
December 6, 2013
This is an interesting, quick read about a guy who decides to save his family farm by converting to a completely organic, free range cattle operation. I recommend it for anyone who has a dream similar to mine, that of getting out of the city and doing some old-style farming.
August 24, 2013
Farming - I just read a book about FARMING, and I could not put it down!! Started it on the airplane on the way home from a business trip and read it into the night. It is now 1:00 in the morning, and Forrest Pritchard, you cost me some shut-eye but it was worth every lost minute!
Mr Pritchard is a good steward of this earth, and as the chapters mounted, so did my respect and appreciation for his farming methods - free range, grass fed animals. Organic farming. Growing food the way it is supposed to be.
A few years ago, I became a Farm Bureau member, even though I have never lived on a farm. I found myself reading their monthly newsletter cover to cover. From there, a friend introduced me to Practical Farmers of Iowa, an organization dedicated to teaching about sustainable agriculture.
As a result, I have become much more interested in where my food is coming from. And thanks to Mr Pritchard, I will never again grumble as I pay just a little more to purchase grass-fed beef vs the junk that's on sale.
Mr Pritchard's writing is a joy. I didn't want the book to end. I hope he and Travis are already working on the sequel. Best wishes to the Pritchard family in Berryville, Virginia. I wish you every continued success!
Mr Pritchard is a good steward of this earth, and as the chapters mounted, so did my respect and appreciation for his farming methods - free range, grass fed animals. Organic farming. Growing food the way it is supposed to be.
A few years ago, I became a Farm Bureau member, even though I have never lived on a farm. I found myself reading their monthly newsletter cover to cover. From there, a friend introduced me to Practical Farmers of Iowa, an organization dedicated to teaching about sustainable agriculture.
As a result, I have become much more interested in where my food is coming from. And thanks to Mr Pritchard, I will never again grumble as I pay just a little more to purchase grass-fed beef vs the junk that's on sale.
Mr Pritchard's writing is a joy. I didn't want the book to end. I hope he and Travis are already working on the sequel. Best wishes to the Pritchard family in Berryville, Virginia. I wish you every continued success!
September 4, 2013
A very well written personal story about keeping the farm and turning it into something quite extraordinary; grass-fed, no chemicals, no antibiotic livestock. He sells at farmers markets in the DC metro area. Gives one a real appreciation for small farmers and farmers' markets. Couldn't help but cheer him on as I read the book.
During the past two years I have found myself spending more time/money in MOM's and Whole Foods. I am alarmed (more than alarmed, in fact) by the emptying of the oceans by commercial fishermen. I am very concerned by the additives in my food and the antibiotics and who knows what else in my meat products. I have not graduated to buying much meat at farmers' markets yet. But this book was an impetus to start. It is pricy, but friend, Roger commented the other day that people will go out and spend $10 for a three egg omelet, but balk at buying a dozen eggs at a farmers' market for $6.00.
Go figure.
During the past two years I have found myself spending more time/money in MOM's and Whole Foods. I am alarmed (more than alarmed, in fact) by the emptying of the oceans by commercial fishermen. I am very concerned by the additives in my food and the antibiotics and who knows what else in my meat products. I have not graduated to buying much meat at farmers' markets yet. But this book was an impetus to start. It is pricy, but friend, Roger commented the other day that people will go out and spend $10 for a three egg omelet, but balk at buying a dozen eggs at a farmers' market for $6.00.
Go figure.
December 11, 2017
Forrest Pritchard had me atForeward by Joel Salatin.He kept me with his story telling, his prose, and his pitch. He chronicles the process of turning around a failing farm without bogging down in soggy sentimentality or in detailed lamentations of exhaustion.
He exposes his failures and false steps with humor. A large part of Forrest's farming success is marketing. He not only sells frozen meat and free-range eggs; he builds relationships with his customers. I especially appreciated the interplay of intergenerational family involvement.
He articulates beauty:
There are certain moments of the year when the farm is breath-takingly beautiful. Morning in early Septembers, when mist lingers over the emerald-green pastures, droplets of dew caught in the gossamer web of a yellow-and-black garden spider, sparkling opalescent in the first light of dawn. Or midsummer, the sacred calm before the storm: sycamore trees effervescent with fireflies and the air thick with kinetic energy, not so much as a leaf stirring, the sky an indigo bruise before suddenly stitched with jagged white lightning.
This story transcends Pritchard and his work. He often steps aside so the reader can view the animals, the farm, and the markets. Warm, sincere, but not preachy.
The soil. It was the common denominator for every farm. Fertility was what made a farm a farm instead of a desert, or a parking lot. Dirt, rain, sunshine, and seeds. It didn't get any more basic than that.
He exposes his failures and false steps with humor. A large part of Forrest's farming success is marketing. He not only sells frozen meat and free-range eggs; he builds relationships with his customers. I especially appreciated the interplay of intergenerational family involvement.
He articulates beauty:
There are certain moments of the year when the farm is breath-takingly beautiful. Morning in early Septembers, when mist lingers over the emerald-green pastures, droplets of dew caught in the gossamer web of a yellow-and-black garden spider, sparkling opalescent in the first light of dawn. Or midsummer, the sacred calm before the storm: sycamore trees effervescent with fireflies and the air thick with kinetic energy, not so much as a leaf stirring, the sky an indigo bruise before suddenly stitched with jagged white lightning.
This story transcends Pritchard and his work. He often steps aside so the reader can view the animals, the farm, and the markets. Warm, sincere, but not preachy.
The soil. It was the common denominator for every farm. Fertility was what made a farm a farm instead of a desert, or a parking lot. Dirt, rain, sunshine, and seeds. It didn't get any more basic than that.
February 24, 2014
Even today most people think of the "family farm", they think of green pastures, happy creatures, and simple life. Gaining Ground is a story that ends on the path towards that utopian view of the American farm, but begins where most farming today ends: crushing debt, broken machinery, and slavery to the corporate food industry.
When one is reading the book, it is about farming; pure and simple. Forrest is the prodigal son returning to reality of his parent's agricultural nightmare. However, throughout the book it becomes apparent that the book is really not about farming, but about a path that so many who endeavor what Prichard endeavors, puts up with, and fights towards. The storyline follows Prichard's and his friend and farm helper Travis' battles against local apathy towards natural agriculture, work that beats you down, and the inevitable family misfortunes that we all share.
However, the storyline is only half the story. Between the lines one can find the passion, the virtue, and the belief that doing what is right is always worth it. Prichard's book reminds us that our society will always have those with motives other than what is right, but it also reminds us that we have the choice to listen to those people or not. Reading Gaining Ground is about hard work, seven days and week and reminds us that doing right is not often easy, but is really the only choice we have.
When one is reading the book, it is about farming; pure and simple. Forrest is the prodigal son returning to reality of his parent's agricultural nightmare. However, throughout the book it becomes apparent that the book is really not about farming, but about a path that so many who endeavor what Prichard endeavors, puts up with, and fights towards. The storyline follows Prichard's and his friend and farm helper Travis' battles against local apathy towards natural agriculture, work that beats you down, and the inevitable family misfortunes that we all share.
However, the storyline is only half the story. Between the lines one can find the passion, the virtue, and the belief that doing what is right is always worth it. Prichard's book reminds us that our society will always have those with motives other than what is right, but it also reminds us that we have the choice to listen to those people or not. Reading Gaining Ground is about hard work, seven days and week and reminds us that doing right is not often easy, but is really the only choice we have.
October 14, 2017
Loved this book! The audio version was so easy to follow while tasking. I was familiar with much of the basics except farmers' markets, as we attended Joel Saladin's farm tour almost twenty years ago and read most of his books. For whatever reason that I have never been able to pin down, I have been drawn to these farming ways and for a time, we had a milk cow, chickens, a pig, and some rabbits and goats. If you're not familiar with sustainable agriculture, you'll learn a lot from this informative and entertaining book. Several laugh-out-loud scenes, and my favorite was about the goat. Having animals always provide lots of work, but lots of entertainment and memories.
February 12, 2019
Loved it! Great storytelling; about the beginning years of saving the family farm by moving from conventional to organic, at the beginning of the modern organic wave. Super funny characters (Muh muh muh) and well-told stories featuring wisdom, goats, sheep and hard work.
June 6, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It's a story of how a man took the failing family farm (that was kicking out a profit of $18.16!) and turned a profit by going organic. It was fascinating to see all the different steps he took, trying, and sometimes failing, to pull himself up by the bootstraps. In the end though, he succeeded. I wonder if some of the ideas he had would be applicable to our little, ten acre homestead?
March 16, 2021
I really appreciate the stories that show the dedication to returning to a more sustainable farming practice for plants and/or animals. We need even more farms like this if we are to survive. Big ag is not the answer.
PS: The narrator was nice but as a resident near enough to know how to pronounce “Hagerstown”, I was disappointed that the narrator didn’t do due diligence. It grates on the ears every time it is said.
PS: The narrator was nice but as a resident near enough to know how to pronounce “Hagerstown”, I was disappointed that the narrator didn’t do due diligence. It grates on the ears every time it is said.
August 16, 2013
I love this farmer memoir because it's funny, accessible, and deeply touching. Forrest Pritchard writes directly from his heart, and the resulting chapters move from amusing to hilarious, heart-warming to heart-breaking, finally culminating in both triumph and tragedy. It's not just a good model for our food system, it's simply an amazing read!
Forrest Pritchard is a farmboy at heart, as evident by his childhood memories of chickens, cows, pigs, crop fields and gardens—though not always all at once; his parents maintained full time jobs off the farm while continually starting projects at home in an attempt to keep the family farm going. Upon graduation, Pritchard quickly sets his sights on staying on the family land and saving the farm from its steady decline into debt and failure, much to the chagrin of his dad, who had hoped his son would use his college education to get a stable job and 'better life'. The resulting adventures that follow Pritchard's new found dedication to the farm are woven into this page-turning book. Pritchard generously shares his foibles right along with his victories, and doesn't mind looking for the humor in his mistakes. All the of the great moments in the book are wonderfully enhanced by his writing style; he's a gifted writer with an English degree, and that shows.
Though he is light-hearted and humble, the bottom line is, his critical eye of the current farming system that surrounds him leads him to make risky and courageous changes. While farmers around him stick with the status quo--often out of desperation, more often out of a lack of knowing things could be different--Pritchard goes out on a limb to make the changes he thinks make more sense. He begins to analyze the ways that farming could be kept simpler, to better care for our now and our later. The changes he dives into can be very difficult (and yet sometimes so very simple), and at times costly, but Pritchard keeps the long vision in his mind as he works out a plan to create the farm of his dreams. The farm of his dreams slowly takes shape as a sustainable, healthy place, providing food to many different farmer's markets. The work is still very hard, but to Pritchard the hard work is meaningful, rather than a constant struggle to stay ahead. Pritchard's clear-headed bravery had me hooked, as I turned page after page to see how he would transform the family farm into an organic, grass-fed livestock operation. We need lots more Forrest Pritchards in order to heal our land and move forward in a better way of feeding ourselves.
One of my land-healing heroes, Joel Salatin, actually wrote the foreword for the book. Pritchard had visited his farm as a young boy and was ultimately inspired by the sustainable techniques Salatin has implemented for decades. Something in the foreword stuck with me: Salatin states that these type of farmer-memoir books should appeal to not just fellow farmers, but to the eaters who depend on those who grow food. People will feel more connected and mindful of the sources of their food when they read the entertaining, personal accounts of those providing it. I totally, whole-heartedly agree with this sentiment, but not just as one of the eaters. I want to be one of the growers, the providers, even if not in the rural-farm atmosphere. Though my path leans more toward suburban and urban food growing, I feel like I'm touching base with kindred spirits when I read about the people who are already embarked, passionately, in growing sustainable food. I'm motivated and filled with fresh inspiration when I read stories like Pritchard's, and ready to jump into my own plans, head first.
Forrest Pritchard is a farmboy at heart, as evident by his childhood memories of chickens, cows, pigs, crop fields and gardens—though not always all at once; his parents maintained full time jobs off the farm while continually starting projects at home in an attempt to keep the family farm going. Upon graduation, Pritchard quickly sets his sights on staying on the family land and saving the farm from its steady decline into debt and failure, much to the chagrin of his dad, who had hoped his son would use his college education to get a stable job and 'better life'. The resulting adventures that follow Pritchard's new found dedication to the farm are woven into this page-turning book. Pritchard generously shares his foibles right along with his victories, and doesn't mind looking for the humor in his mistakes. All the of the great moments in the book are wonderfully enhanced by his writing style; he's a gifted writer with an English degree, and that shows.
Though he is light-hearted and humble, the bottom line is, his critical eye of the current farming system that surrounds him leads him to make risky and courageous changes. While farmers around him stick with the status quo--often out of desperation, more often out of a lack of knowing things could be different--Pritchard goes out on a limb to make the changes he thinks make more sense. He begins to analyze the ways that farming could be kept simpler, to better care for our now and our later. The changes he dives into can be very difficult (and yet sometimes so very simple), and at times costly, but Pritchard keeps the long vision in his mind as he works out a plan to create the farm of his dreams. The farm of his dreams slowly takes shape as a sustainable, healthy place, providing food to many different farmer's markets. The work is still very hard, but to Pritchard the hard work is meaningful, rather than a constant struggle to stay ahead. Pritchard's clear-headed bravery had me hooked, as I turned page after page to see how he would transform the family farm into an organic, grass-fed livestock operation. We need lots more Forrest Pritchards in order to heal our land and move forward in a better way of feeding ourselves.
One of my land-healing heroes, Joel Salatin, actually wrote the foreword for the book. Pritchard had visited his farm as a young boy and was ultimately inspired by the sustainable techniques Salatin has implemented for decades. Something in the foreword stuck with me: Salatin states that these type of farmer-memoir books should appeal to not just fellow farmers, but to the eaters who depend on those who grow food. People will feel more connected and mindful of the sources of their food when they read the entertaining, personal accounts of those providing it. I totally, whole-heartedly agree with this sentiment, but not just as one of the eaters. I want to be one of the growers, the providers, even if not in the rural-farm atmosphere. Though my path leans more toward suburban and urban food growing, I feel like I'm touching base with kindred spirits when I read about the people who are already embarked, passionately, in growing sustainable food. I'm motivated and filled with fresh inspiration when I read stories like Pritchard's, and ready to jump into my own plans, head first.
June 12, 2014
In many ways, I love Pritchard’s story of rebuilding his family farm. Against the advice of pretty much everyone, Pritchard takes up farming the land that his parents could never make a living off of. His journey really is an amazing one. He starts off with crushing debt, little help, and no plan. Through trial and error, trial and error, and then a little more trial and error, Pritchard finds a way to make the farm not only his own, but profitable for the first time in many years.
Yet, as Pritchard waxes poetic about saving the family farm, he omits even the significant details of his family life. His parents play a strong role, as the farm was theirs first. But Pritchard’s wife and children are barely a blip on the radar. How did we get to page 316 of 317 pages before we learn he has a son in second grade?
While it’s impossible to know what might have been cut by an editor, I would have liked to see Pritchard strick a balance between the story of the farm, the story of Pritchard, and the story of the family farm.
Still, fans of Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Keith Stewart’s It’s a Long Road to a Tomato; and Novella Carpenter’s Farm City will enjoy this story of triumph over convention.
Yet, as Pritchard waxes poetic about saving the family farm, he omits even the significant details of his family life. His parents play a strong role, as the farm was theirs first. But Pritchard’s wife and children are barely a blip on the radar. How did we get to page 316 of 317 pages before we learn he has a son in second grade?
While it’s impossible to know what might have been cut by an editor, I would have liked to see Pritchard strick a balance between the story of the farm, the story of Pritchard, and the story of the family farm.
Still, fans of Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Keith Stewart’s It’s a Long Road to a Tomato; and Novella Carpenter’s Farm City will enjoy this story of triumph over convention.
January 4, 2016
This family's story is inspiring and encouraged me to buy local and eat organic. I'm glad I read this book early in the year, so I could pledge to eat better foods along with my New Year's resolutions. I enjoyed Forrest's storytelling style and hearing about the lessons he learned while turning around the fate of his grandfather's farm. After years of barely making it and on the verge of losing money, he learns how to raise livestock and maintain pastures to save his family's farm. The whole family soon joins Forrest in his dream and begins helping with market sales and farm chores. Throughout the story were photographs of farm animals and farming life along with farmers' market scenes. Forrest summed things up well by stating that Berryville Farm "fixes things." Great story of a sustainable lifestyle and family business. I can't wait until market season to start buying fresh produce!
May 25, 2013
An enjoyable memoir about turning a small farm into a locavore success. I've bought eggs from Forrest at the Takoma Park Farmers Market for years and have heard bits and pieces of his story before, but in Gaining Ground he lays out all the trials and doubts along his way to becoming a trailblazer at DC-area markets. His writing has a lot of dry humor but the hunger to build something new (and simultaneously regain something old) underpins the tale. The book includes a small critique of industrial farming and a few points questioning why people don't avail themselves of local foods more often; those are strong and important arguments that could have used a longer airing in the book, but Forrest lets the message come through more with his stories than making it into a polemic.
February 6, 2014
I absolutely loved this book!! It's about a 30-something man who finishes college and decides to take on the family farm that has been in his family for 7 generations. After his grandfather died in the 80s, they were almost constantly on the verge of losing it. Having been a cattle farm for most of the time, this is his journey into how he started out (selling fire wood and straw), learning about grass farming, raising cattle organically, finding a butcher instead of selling to feedlots, gaining Farmer's Market experience, etc.
it's an incredible book that is very heartwarming and inspiring and i suggest every gardener/farmer/wanna be/wanna know more, reads it.
it's an incredible book that is very heartwarming and inspiring and i suggest every gardener/farmer/wanna be/wanna know more, reads it.
July 6, 2015
All nonfiction should be this readable. I flew through this memoir by Forrest Pritchard about saving his family farm. Forrest makes a great chance for how farming in America is broken by the first chapter and then talking about how he made it work through a lot of trial and error. His stories are one part amusing and one part sentimental as he waxes poetic on his land. Almost over the top, Forrest is earnestly honest about his life and very self reflective about his place in society. Recommended read.
February 24, 2021
This book had so much heart, and I also loved that it was laugh-out-loud funny in so many different parts. It was the kind of book I wanted to talk about with my husband and share my experience, and it was the kind of book that made me want to keep going with my miniature homestead dream and to also be better about supporting local farmers and ranchers.
I don't know if this book would be interesting to everyone, but for me, who has been obsessed with country life and homesteading and farming for many, many years now, I really enjoyed this.
I don't know if this book would be interesting to everyone, but for me, who has been obsessed with country life and homesteading and farming for many, many years now, I really enjoyed this.
August 4, 2016
Best book I have read this year. Very interesting to learn how much work it takes to farm organically. I was especially interested to read the end of the book that tells why organic food is more expensive than non-organic. You will laugh and cry when you read this book. This is a book where you want to know the author and his family and when you are done you feel like you are leaving a friend. I will definitely look for more organic food and farmer's markets.
December 14, 2016
Mr. Pritchard had so many problems raising animals for meat, I'm surprised he ever succeeded in his farm. It's difficult work, and I appreciate it. I'm still a bit troubled though about killing animals and about the effect of raising animals on climate change and other environmental issues.
January 7, 2018
A great read for aspiring farmers and for the American consumer.
December 8, 2017
I loved this book! Here is a memoir with a compelling plot line... will the family farm be saved?.... told by a likeable and humble writer with a supporting cast of interesting and quirky characters. I was deeply moved by this quest to grow good honest food, protect a family legacy, and live a life of rewarding hard work.
November 11, 2020
yeah i don't think vegans are the intended demographic for this lol
i really just don't care to read abt a farmer callously talking abt animals in such a self-serving way and constantly commodifying them. every chapter found a new way to make me mad and i'm really annoyed that i paid for this book. read for class.
i really just don't care to read abt a farmer callously talking abt animals in such a self-serving way and constantly commodifying them. every chapter found a new way to make me mad and i'm really annoyed that i paid for this book. read for class.
January 19, 2017
A real eye-opener regarding what organic farming is all about. If you think you know about the origins of the food on your table--think again. The author of GAINING GROUND, Forrest Pritchard, tells of his past experiences of the family farm, as well as his outlook on how organic farming can not only produce wholesome food, but a sustainable environment as well. His stories are both funny and thought-provoking. I highly recommend this book. It was suggested reading by our local library; and it was surprisingly better than I ever expected. Give it a look. You may like it, too.
June 6, 2017
Really interesting book about the early movement away from industrialized farms...it's funny and I learned a lot as well!
May 31, 2018
Quick read. Look at agriculture and economic plight of many family farms. Plenty of human story as well as farm story. Happy to see the changed system worked for him and his family.
February 6, 2021
Informative and inspiring. One of my grandfathers raised cows and the other grew vegetables. Farming will always be a subject that is near to my heart. Loved this.
September 14, 2021
I really enjoyed this! It was a beautiful (and clean!) memoir about a farmer who revitalizes his family's conventional farm by turning it into a grassfed meat farm, and I LOVE it!
4 stars.
4 stars.
May 12, 2013
Gaining Ground: A Story of Farmers’ Markets, Local Food, and Saving the Family Farm by Forrest Pritchard is the perfect book for a wannabe farmer. In fact it’s the perfect book for anyone who has had a dream and wondered what the process might be to make dream reality. It doesn’t have to be a farming dream, because all dreams are achieved the same way: by hard work, determination, and sacrifice. Sure, there are some other things that go into the recipe for success, but I believe these are the backbones, and Forrest Pritchard illustrates this quite well in telling his story of becoming a farmer and saving the family farm. As Joel Salatin points out in the forward to the book, this book is especially important for people who will never farm. Not everyone can or should farm, but that doesn’t mean they should be disconnected from the food they eat and feed their children. As Mr. Salatin says, “Every time we eat, we participate in farming.” Forrest does a superb job in reminding us of this as he takes us down the road of his personal journey into farming.
Who is Forrest Pritchard?
Forrest Pritchard was a farm kid who didn’t know much about farming. His family farm was managed by various farmers after his grandfather died while his parents worked everyday 9 to 5 jobs in other towns away from the farm. These farm managers tried using industrial farming techniques to keep a profit going, but inevitably little by little the farm was accumulating debt and failing. After graduating college Forrest was faced with the big question we’re all faced with:
What am I going to do with the rest of my life?
His father encouraged him to get a secure position as a teacher. After all it was steady work with insurance and a pension. It’s safe. After wrestling with this idea for some time and confronting the reality of the situation (Forrest had little experience farming and the family debt was reaching a breaking point) he took a calculated risk: he gave farming a shot. Luckily Forrest was smart enough to realize to make it work he must think outside the box and be open to new ideas. New methodologies. He had witnessed the failure of the industrial model on the very land he wanted to farm. He knew there were alternatives, and knew he had to explore those alternatives if he was going to have a shot at saving the family farm, and proving to his family and himself that he could turn dream into reality.
What’s in the book?
The book is the story of Forrest’s progression into where he is today. When he first made the decision to give it a go, he started by cutting and selling firewood which barely turned a profit. He did it alone, and with little enthusiasm or support from the people around him. Over fifteen years later he’s one of the most well recognized pasture farmers in Virginia. The book is filled with humor and heartbreak. The tales of Pedro the Goat and Blackie the Beast Pig are sure to bring laughs, as are the trials of finding an honest butcher and the right place to actually sell his product. With heart and craft Forrest takes the reader to all areas in the emotional landscape of story; from dark corners filled with doubt, rejection, and humility, to fields of illumination stacked with the fruits of overcoming adversity. Even though it is a non-fiction story, Forrest’s prose inject life into his story in a very rich and satisfying way that is recognized in many a good novel.
Final Thoughts of a Wannabe Farmer
Reading this book was perfect timing for me. Up to this point my journey had mainly taken me to reading books on technique. Although books on technique can be very inspiring, nothing inspires quite like the personal story. The fact that Forrest had very little farming experience is quite important for the future of farming as I believe and many have said before that future farmers will not come from farms. A new wave of young farmers are already transforming the farming landscape many of them coming from cities and suburbs, and having little to no experience farming. Gradually over time I suppose it will shift to a more balanced ratio of farm kids carrying on the family business, but as of now the average farmer is sixty years old and his kids have left the farm in the pursuit of “secure” and “well paying” jobs. This of course is the mono-culture or industrial farmer. People are starting to realize however that farming was never the problem, the model was the problem. We are now in the beginning of a renaissance for sustainable farming and having personal stories like Gaining Ground available for to be farmers in my view is paramount. Forrest has not taken for granted his role as a figurehead, and like Joel Salatin before him has stepped up to show others what is possible while remaining humble and helpful to all who seek his advice.
This review comes fromwww.iwannafarm.coma website dedicated to the journey of a wannabe farmer.
Who is Forrest Pritchard?
Forrest Pritchard was a farm kid who didn’t know much about farming. His family farm was managed by various farmers after his grandfather died while his parents worked everyday 9 to 5 jobs in other towns away from the farm. These farm managers tried using industrial farming techniques to keep a profit going, but inevitably little by little the farm was accumulating debt and failing. After graduating college Forrest was faced with the big question we’re all faced with:
What am I going to do with the rest of my life?
His father encouraged him to get a secure position as a teacher. After all it was steady work with insurance and a pension. It’s safe. After wrestling with this idea for some time and confronting the reality of the situation (Forrest had little experience farming and the family debt was reaching a breaking point) he took a calculated risk: he gave farming a shot. Luckily Forrest was smart enough to realize to make it work he must think outside the box and be open to new ideas. New methodologies. He had witnessed the failure of the industrial model on the very land he wanted to farm. He knew there were alternatives, and knew he had to explore those alternatives if he was going to have a shot at saving the family farm, and proving to his family and himself that he could turn dream into reality.
What’s in the book?
The book is the story of Forrest’s progression into where he is today. When he first made the decision to give it a go, he started by cutting and selling firewood which barely turned a profit. He did it alone, and with little enthusiasm or support from the people around him. Over fifteen years later he’s one of the most well recognized pasture farmers in Virginia. The book is filled with humor and heartbreak. The tales of Pedro the Goat and Blackie the Beast Pig are sure to bring laughs, as are the trials of finding an honest butcher and the right place to actually sell his product. With heart and craft Forrest takes the reader to all areas in the emotional landscape of story; from dark corners filled with doubt, rejection, and humility, to fields of illumination stacked with the fruits of overcoming adversity. Even though it is a non-fiction story, Forrest’s prose inject life into his story in a very rich and satisfying way that is recognized in many a good novel.
Final Thoughts of a Wannabe Farmer
Reading this book was perfect timing for me. Up to this point my journey had mainly taken me to reading books on technique. Although books on technique can be very inspiring, nothing inspires quite like the personal story. The fact that Forrest had very little farming experience is quite important for the future of farming as I believe and many have said before that future farmers will not come from farms. A new wave of young farmers are already transforming the farming landscape many of them coming from cities and suburbs, and having little to no experience farming. Gradually over time I suppose it will shift to a more balanced ratio of farm kids carrying on the family business, but as of now the average farmer is sixty years old and his kids have left the farm in the pursuit of “secure” and “well paying” jobs. This of course is the mono-culture or industrial farmer. People are starting to realize however that farming was never the problem, the model was the problem. We are now in the beginning of a renaissance for sustainable farming and having personal stories like Gaining Ground available for to be farmers in my view is paramount. Forrest has not taken for granted his role as a figurehead, and like Joel Salatin before him has stepped up to show others what is possible while remaining humble and helpful to all who seek his advice.
This review comes fromwww.iwannafarm.coma website dedicated to the journey of a wannabe farmer.
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