Though the small family farm is an American ideal, they've never actually been very successful. Yet the obsession with trying to save them continues, prompting the question: What if small family farms aren't the best way to organize American agriculture?
From New Mexico's high desert to Iowa's hill country to the grassy expanses of the Carolinas, there is evidence that a better way exist. Big Team Farms is a journey among farm and food businesses that are challenging convention when thinking about growing food, working together, and caring for landscapes. These farms are not obsessing about small scale and family ownership, but instead prioritizing their customers, employees, and success as businesses.
Informed by deep research and personal experience, Big Team Farms tackles questions like:
- Is it possible to empower farmworkers without driving up food prices?
- How do we craft environmental protections without threatening the existence of farms?
- Are small, family-run farms the best option?
In this captivating sequel to Farm (and Other F Words), Sarah K Mock explores alternative farm business models and shines a light on the often underestimated roles of collaboration, collectivism, and democracy in American agriculture, offering a hopeful vision for a future that's more inclusive, resilient, and better for workers and consumers alike.