Harvest: Field Notes from a Far-Flung Pursuit of Real Food
Watman becomes conscious of food in his preteen years when he has to start cooking for parents convalescing from a traffic accident. Progressively more intrigued by foods’ origins, he eventually determines to raise his own food, particularly animals. Abhorrence of animal cruelty propels Watman toward vegetarianism, but he quickly acknowledges his dependence on meat. So he raises his own chickens. Antigun sentiment vanishes when a raccoon attacks his birds in their coop. He abandons his air rifle for the real deal and hunts pheasants in North Dakota. Turning briefly to less violence-prone cheese making, Watman aims for a Hudson River valley version of Camembert. A foray into hot-sauce production leaves him with a severe reaction to fresh chili peppers. Finally, he gets his own steer. Watman has a keen eye for the characters he meets in his wanderings across the U.S., but, never mocking, he appreciates each one’s contributions to the world of real food. --Mark Knoblauch