Farm: The making of a climate activist

Is it possible to survive as a new farmer and change the future of farming at the same time?

For years we’ve been told that the food system is destroying the planet. That there are too many cows and tractors, too much fertiliser, too much waste, and that farmers and food manufacturers are polluting our atmosphere. But we’ve also been told that food can help save us from the worst of global warming. How can it be both destroyer and saviour?

In 2018, Nicola Harvey and her husband, Pat, left their careers and inner-city Sydney life to farm cattle in rural New Zealand. They thought it would be exciting, even relaxing, but soon found themselves in the middle of heated arguments and deep divisions about food, farming, and climate change.

In this profoundly personal story, Harvey takes readers into the heart of the industrialised global food system to share what life on the land is like when you’re a new farmer just trying to survive – and change the status quo.

At odds with her family, and struggling to find a place within her new community, Nicola is at first outraged at the lack of action to curb global warming. When she realises, though, that we’re all being sold a false fix, she begins to transform the farm into a site of activism. In the kitchen and on the land, Nicola finds hope and a path towards a cooler future.

‘An enlightening read for everyone who is interested in food production. It is both intensely personal and vitally important, ranging far and wide across the agricultural spectrum, teasing out issues and raising questions, but also offering sustenance and hope.’
-Julia Taylor, Books+Publishing

‘Through her storytelling and reporting, Nicola Harvey renders in full colour arguments about food and climate change that too often are portrayed as black and white. Humanity, compassion, and rigorous research make this an essential book for both those working on food system issues and those who simply care about food.’
-Alicia Kennedy

‘More than a memoir, Farm is a call to arms for farmers to do better, for people to understand food systems better, and for all of us to join together and help heal the planet.’
-Matthew Evans

Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
Imprint: Scribe Australia
Publication date: 30/08/2022