Field Days A Year of Farming, Eating, and Drinking Wine in California [Paperback]

Sooner or later, nearly everyone who cares about wine and food comes to Sonomaso begins this lively excursion to a spectacular region that has become known internationally as a locavore's paradise. Part memoir, part vivid reportage,Field Dayschronicles the renaissance in farming organically and eating locally that is unfolding in Northern California. Jonah Raskin tells of the year he spent on Oak Hill Farmworking the fields, selling produce at farmers' markets, and following it to restaurants. He also goes behind the scenes at Whole Foods. In this luminous account of his experiences, Raskin introduces a dynamic cast of charactersfarmers, chefs, winemakers, farm workers, and environmentalists. They include such luminaries as Warren Weber at Star Route Farm, the oldest certified organic farm in Marin County; Bob Cannard, who has supplied Chez Panisse with vegetables for decades; Sharon Grossi, the owner of the largest organic farm in Sonoma; and Craig Stoll, the founder and executive chef at Delfina in San Francisco. Raskin also offers portraits of renowned historical figures, including Luther Burbank, Jack London, and M.F.K. Fisher.Field Daysis a heartfelt celebration of the farm-to-table movement and its cultural reverberations.

Jonah Raskinis Professor of Communication Studies at Sonoma State University and the author ofThe Radical Jack London: Writings on War and Revolution, American Scream: Allen Ginsberg's Howl and the Making of the Beat Generation,andFor the Hell of It: The Life and Times of Abbie Hoffman,all available from University of California Press.

This is an insider's view, and Raskin offers readers insights into a hidden California. The impact of his book is to return culture to agriculture in a state dominated by agribusiness. Gerald Haslam, author ofThe Great Central Valley: California's Heartland

Jonah Raskin has lived and taught in this area for well over thirtylCÒ