Case studies show how a number of successful metrofarmers possess the vision and persistence to prosper. There is a tremendous amount of useful information in MetroFarm. The logic behind metrofarming is inescapable. Decades of sustained assault from policy-makers and vested interest have left the family farm hovering near extinction, the corporate farm ascendant, and a way of life imperiled. So the small-scale farmer must bring exceptional resourcefulness to bear on the problem of finding a viable niche in which to operate, an economic and ecological space where he or she can survive and prosper.
Cities are where the money is, and city dwellers are clamoring for clean food in growing numbers.
Michael Olson's MetroFarm tells how a farmer who is willing to innovate, experiment, and adapt to current market realities can complete the metamorphosis of opportunity into a real going concern. Each phase of the process is laid out with impressive thoroughness, every chapter organized around the logic of practicality. For every necessary task or potential problem needing solution, Olson offers a progression of steps arranged in the correct sequence so that the desired goal is achieved. The first step in preparing for market, therefore, is to plan ways to maintain the quality of your products. That seems irrefutable, and in equally succinct fashion Olson then discusses the elements of quality, forces that affect quality, and how the latter are best dealt with.