Farmacology: What Innovative Family Farming Can Teach Us About Health and Healing
Farmacology is grounded in the principle that human health is deeply linked to agriculture. Family physician Miller explains how sustainable farms serve as a model for a healthy human body: everything is interdependent and balance is paramount. She visits a Sonoma vineyard where the winery’s system of integrative pest management offers a paradigm for understanding and treating cancer. Her tour of two chicken farms in Arkansas teaches valuable lessons about stress in poultry and people. A trip to a garden in the Bronx demonstrates the power of preventive medicine derived from urban farming. Excursions to an aromatic-herb farm, Ozark cattle-raising ranch, and biodynamic farm in Washington offer additional parallels between farming and well-being. Farmacology is infused with clinical tales of Miller’s patients and discussions with researchers. Make no mistake: soil is the star of this story. Its vigor is clearly connected to the vitality of the plants, animals, and human beings it supports. Don’t take dirt (and its worms, pebbles, and ubiquitous microorganisms) for granted. Think like a farmer, and you’ll likely cultivate better personal health. --Tony Miksanek