M. D. Usher is the Lyman-Roberts Professor of Classical Languages and Literature at the University of Vermont, where he is a faculty member in the Environmental and Food Systems Programs and the Department of Geography. He and his wife, Caroline, have been farming for more than twenty years and they built, own, and operate Works & Days Farm, which produces lamb, eggs, and maple syrup in Shoreham, Vermont.
A delightful anthology of classical Greek and Roman writings celebrating country living-ranging from a philosophy of compost to hymns to the gods of agriculture
Whether you farm or garden, live in the country or long to move there, or simply enjoy an occasional rural retreat, you will be delighted by this cornucopia of writings about living and working on the land, harvested from the fertile fields of ancient Greek and Roman literature. An inspiring antidote to the digital age, How to Be a Farmer evokes the beauty and bounty of nature with a rich mixture of philosophy, practical advice, history, and humor. Together, these timeless reflections on what the Greeks called boukolika and the Romans res rusticae provide an entertaining and enlightening guide to a more meaningful and sustainable way of life.
In fresh translations by classicist and farmer M. D. Usher, with the original texts on facing pages, Hesiod praises the dignity of labor; Plato describes the rustic simplicity of his ideal republic; Varro dedicates a farming manual to his wife, Fundania ("Mrs. Farmer"); and Vergil idealizes farmers as residents of the Golden Age. In other selections, Horace extols the joys of simple living at his cherished country farm; Pliny the Elder explains why all culture stems from agriculture; Columella praises donkeys and tells how to choose a ram or a dog; Musonius Rufus argues that farming is the best livelihood for a philosopher; and there is much more.
Proof that farming is ultimately a state of mind we should all cultivate, How to Be a Farmer will charm anyone who loves nature or its fruits. "
I loved the book. I love the Princeton University Press series. I've read a dozen of these now; they're all awesome but I was very excited to see this one."---Ryan Holiday, Daily Stoic podcast "This book is a gem."---Jonathan Self, Country Life "[A]n engaging mixture of history, philosophy, [and] poetry. . . . [T]his suitably sturdy volume is small enough to fit easily into the knapsack or the pocket of the hill-walker or the eco-tourist and would give him plenty of food for thought as he eats his ploughman's lunch."---John Godwin, Journal of Classics Teaching "Plowing through Usher's sparkling, brilliant, funny, and illuminating selections in How to Be a Farmer is no chore. It is a romp! A perfect introduction to the whole range of classical writing on farming."-James C. Scott, author of Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States "This thought-provoking collection of vignettes about living in the countryside and supporting oneself practically and intellectually there, away from urban politics, crowds, and commercialism, is an invitation to farming as a state of mind."-Cynthia Damon, translator of Tacitus's Annals (Penguin Classics) "How to Be a Farmer is extremely charming. The selections are well chosen, the translations are crisp and lively, and the whole moves along balancing variety with a subtle but also striking and informative development of ideas. A wonderful volume."-Stephanie Nelson, author of God and the Land: The Metaphysics of Farming in Hesiod and Vergil
