Back to the Land: A New Way of Life in the Country Foraging, Cheesemaking, Beekeeping, Syrup Tapping, Beer Brewing, Orchard Tending , Vegetable Gardening, and Ecological Farming in the Hudson River Valley

For anyone heading to the country, this book is filled with ideas for farmstead living, including countless ways to cultivate nature’s bounty, from environmentally sensitive experts and enthusiasts.

As a lifestyle choice, many people have recently made an exodus from the city to the country. One area in particular, the Hudson River Valley is booming because of legacy farmers and newcomers’ mutual respect for the land. This inspirational survey presents a broad cross section of individuals who are flocking to this bucolic region and providing their considerable newfound knowledge on such topics as vegetable farming, planting a flower-cutting garden, tending a fruit orchard, canning and pickling, foraging, harvesting biodynamic honey, brewing beer, baking bread from local grains, and much more. They are restoring historic barns and houses and using salvaged materials for contemporary structures. Picturesque fencing, trellises, and arbors abound. Community dinners and farmers markets are occasions for exchanging information on land preservation. A listing of noteworthy farm-to-table restaurants, inns, farmers markets, farm stands, and artisanal breweries completes this beautifully photographed book, which will inspire and empower.

Pieter Estersohn is a renowned photographer of architecture and interiors, whose work is seen in top shelter publications. He is a contributor to the World of Interiors and Elle Decor. Author of Kentucky and Life Along the Hudson, he is on the boards of the Historic Red Hook Advisory Council and the Calvert Vaux Preservation Alliance. Estersohn is also the photographer for many Rizzoli interiors books, including those for Charlotte Moss, Suzanne Rheinstein, and Victoria Hagan.