“The Salt Stones” begins with an initiation: A ewe gives birth to two lambs. One lives. One dies. Helen Whybrow, the shepherd and author of this book, knows she will have to tell her toddler, Wren, about the death, and that they will go see the living and dead lambs together. With that, Whybrow steps forward

“Forever chemicals” is the nickname given to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS for short) because they do not break down in nature. Originally created for military applications, these chemicals make non-stick pans possible and are found in stain-resistant carpets, water-repellant raingear, firefighting foam, plastic water bottles and baby bottles, cosmetics, and fast-food containers. PFAS are

In “Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership,” author Brea Baker chronicles the history that shaped the Black community’s access to land in what is now considered the United States. Baker asks the reader: “What does it mean to reclaim that tainted history and desecrated land, land

I first met Jeff Poppen in 2019 at the National Biodynamic Association Conference in Lake George, New York. Having read Jeff’s previous books, but never having experienced his teaching, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect — apart from his being a barefoot farmer with decades of biodynamic experience under his belt. During his 90-minute

“What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures” by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is the most comprehensive, pragmatic, and uplifting piece of climate and environmental literature written in the last decade, if not ever! It is a book that stands with environmental calls to action like Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” and Aldo Leopold’s “A Sand

“The Modern Herbal Dispensatory” by Thomas Easley and Steven Horne is a practical and accessible guide to herbal medicine-making, uniquely bridging traditional herbal knowledge with modern scientific understanding. It stands out as both a reference manual and a hands-on workbook for home herbalists, students, and practitioners alike. The book has two parts that complement each other

Part cookbook, part garden guide, “The Edible Flower” has everything you need to get started growing — and eating — flowers. Authors Erin Bunting, a chef, and organic gardener Jo Facer have been serving garden-to-table meals at their smallholding in Ireland. Most people think of flowers as decorative additions to a dish, but the truth

Like any scientist, mycologist Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian is no stranger to closely examining the world around her. From the Laboulbeniales — multicellular fungi that live on the surface of beetles — that she has made a career of studying, to the copperheads whose company she sought out as a child, Kaishian applies a unique lens

Erin Zimmerman’s “Unrooted: Botany, Motherhood, and the Fight to Save an Old Science” is a compelling memoir that intertwines her passion for plants with the challenges she faced as a woman in science. Dispersed through the book are botanical illustrations by Zimmerman, and quotes by other scientists begin each chapter. The book is one plant