The Color of Food: Stories of Race, Resilience and Farming

"Someone once told me that to understand is to dig deep, so we must always carry a strong shovel and an open ear," begins blogger Bowen's food odyssey across America. With an empathetic eye, the author travels to dozens of farms, interviewing the men and women making their livelihood by the land. Bowens focuses largely on farmers of color who have been bypassed in the current farming conversation, in particular with relation to the growing dialog about sustainability practices. Readers learn the rich histories of farmers from all backgrounds in this broadly and lovingly researched account, as the author creates a beautiful portrait of American backcountry, visiting workers whose families have owned their land for decades, noting that for much of America's agricultural history, people of color were pushed off their land, forced to toil without pay, and generally mistreated.