Wastelands: The True Story of Farm Country on Trial

The nation’s food chain has long been attacked by the homogenization of crops and animal breeds, stemming in large part from the increase in monocropping and mega farms. Addison’s (A Harvest of Thorns) impeccably researched book focuses on a North Carolina farming community’s fight against Smithfield Farms, one of the largest producers of pork products, and accordingly, one of the largest producers of noxious hog waste. Addison describes the backstory of the land and its people, with primarily Black-owned small farms situated on the borders of Smithfield’s polluting mega farms. He then details the court case that the community brought in hopes of ending the massive pollution and adverse practices. John Grisham’s forward sets listeners up for the Grisham-like trial scenes that follow, all of which are compellingly narrated by Rob Shapiro. His smooth, sensitive, and well-paced narration allows readers to empathize with the community’s fight and gain the historical perspective needed to understand this David vs. Goliath court case.