Hopey Fink

With Farm (and Other F Words): The Rise and Fall of the Small Family Farm, Sarah K. Mock bursts into the world of nonfiction books with the same precision, passion, empathy, and knowledge that characterize all of her earlier writing. Mock’s journalism credentials in the agriculture space have given her a unique perspective and expertise that she weaves in alongside the real narratives of farmers across America and painstaking historical and statistical research. The result is a triumph of visionary boldness, tackling our societal misconceptions about what makes a “Good Farm” chapter by chapter, data point by data point, story by story. Mock manages to hold space for nuance while also maintaining the surety of her conviction that the path toward more equitable agriculture in America is not found in the status quo. Her dissection of the relationship between farming and wealth will likely be novel and perhaps even uncomfortable for many readers who have grown up believing that farmers are inherently underdogs, but Mock’s writing is clear, accessible, and unpatronizing: she empowers her readers to accompany her on this exploration of farming’s realities, and they’ll put down the book feeling challenged in a good way. Mock’s commitment to anti-racist and intersectional reporting is apparent in her intentionality about centering the voices of historically marginalized farmers; her acknowledgment of her own identity and positionality; and the care with which she has consulted with experts regarding, for example, discussions of undocumented farm workers. Farm (and Other F Words) is a must-read for anyone interested in pushing the agriculture industry forward or simply reckoning with their own understanding of the systems impacting the food they eat.