Part memoir, part how-to, THE DIRTY LIFE: On Farming, Food, and Love (Scribner, $15) by Kristin Kimball, provides an insider’s look at the challenges of creating a sustainable farm in upstate New York. A former Lower East Side resident, Kimball falls for Mark while researching a story about his farming endeavors in Pennsylvania. Amidst a courtship and a move to a leased farm in Essex, New York, Kristin and Mark develop 500 dilapidated acres into a working farm that feeds a small community of over 100 people. With stories ranging from buying outdated farm equipment at an auction in Amish country to chasing cattle down Main Street, Kristen recalls a year’s worth of trials and tribulations on the farm. Her writing, whether about driving the draft horses or heating up the farmhouse, is both enlightening and entertaining.
