An Organic Approach to Gardening in Kentucky
by Jerome Lange
174pp 7" x 9.5" paperback
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When our family made the decision to move to south central Kentucky and start farming, it was very much a leap of faith. We had wrestled for years with the ill effects of modern industrial living, and come to the conclusion that the best hope for our family was to adopt a pre-modern, agrarian way of life. But we had no experience with actually living such a life, and no particular reason to think we would succeed at it.
We did know that until recently the agrarian life was the predominant way of life, that throughout history most people have lived—and thrived—on small family farms. But most of those people had the benefit of growing up in such circumstances, learning from their parents and their community, adopting and carrying on the traditions of their forbears. Without such a background, we had to approach the agrarian life as a new and unfamiliar thing. And though we had read stories of folks who had successfully made the transition from industrial to agrarian life, we still had to wonder if the gulf was too wide for us.
Shortly after we arrived in Kentucky, God confirmed for us that we were on the right path by blessing us with a new friend, Jerome Lange. We first knew Jerome as the song leader at our new church, but soon enough we learned that he made his living by farming. Jerome was intrigued by our desire to do the same, and more than willing to help us get established.
Throughout the fall and early winter of that year, as we got settled into our new home, I had many long conversations with Jerome, and was continually surprised at what I learned. Jerome was not just a farmer, he was a pioneer and thirty year veteran in the organic farming movement, having been the first to bring these techniques to Kentucky. If you wander the produce section at Good Foods, a food coop in Lexington which has turned into an upscale grocery store, you will see Jerome Lange’s name displayed prominently over more than half the fresh vegetables for sale; he has been their primary supplier for twenty years, and their customers know him and the quality of his product.
I also learned why Jerome was excited that we had arrived on the scene. Over the past few years he had been teaching an introductory class in organic gardening, based on the things he had learned in thirty years of doing it, and was in the process of finishing up a book on the topic. Seeing that we were willing pupils in search of a teacher, he was glad for the chance to find out up close if he could successfully teach others to use the techniques he had developed. So we read a draft of his book, found that his instructions were good and wise and sensible, and committed ourselves to plant and maintain a quarter-acre garden under his supervision.
The results have been gratifying. Jerome had us making preparations for the garden as early as January, showing us how to lay foundations that would save us much labor and grief in months to come. He took some of the more sophisticated tasks off our plate, e.g. supplying us with seedlings he had started in his greenhouse, so that we could stay focused on the foundational work. He stopped by often to check on our progress, touring the garden with us to explain what was happening and what further work needed to be done and when. And he used every opportunity to show us how our small experimental efforts would fit into the overall operation once we had scaled up and become a real farm. And now in mid-summer 2006 we are enjoying the fruits of our efforts, feasting on fresh produce, preserving much of the bounty for the winter months, and planning ways to expand our efforts so as to have produce for sale in years to come.
All this is background to help you understand why we are so pleased that we can offer you Jerome Lange’s book Remembering the Fish: The Seven Keys, and why we recommend it so enthusiastically. Not many of you will have the opportunity to learn organic gardening under Jerome’s supervision, but this book encapsulates much of his hard-won wisdom and presents it in a form that not only makes for pleasant and edifying reading, but can be easily applied to just about any sort of gardening effort.
The seven keys are simple enough: observation, liberal application of agricultural lime, cultivation, liberal application of compost, planting in raised beds, growing under row covers, and judicious application of sand. None of these keys operate mysteriously—in fact, most of them are aimed at providing root systems with more air, which Jerome sees as a fundamental element of a thriving garden—and the principles are presented in such a clear and simple manner that it is straightforward to adapt them to one’s specific situation.
One of the most valuable features of this book (certainly one of the most delightful) is a fifty-page appendix containing lengthy interviews with three Mennonite farmers whom Jerome works closely with. Many of the keys are discussed in these interviews, in a context which brings them to life.
Although Remembering the Fish: The Seven Keys is brimming with practical, time-tested information, we value it just as much for what it doesn’t contain. Too many practical writers these days assume they must present a complete and comprehensive treatment of a topic, forcing them to go beyond what they know will work into speculation about what ought to work. In his book Jerome deliberately avoids that approach, limiting himself to recording just those things that he knows will work, and admitting in places that he is uncertain or ignorant about the best approach to a particular matter. The result is true wisdom, which speaks only of which it knows and remains silent on the rest.
Jerome has planned three more volumes for this series.
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