The Farm That Feeds Us: A Year in the Life of an Organic Farm

Gr 2-5–This illustrated nonfiction book depicts the rhythm and everyday duties of life on a family farm. Castaldo organizes the details of farm operation by seasonal work. Readers learn about the purpose of a farm through the frame of the required year-round maintenance. The text shares facts about the finer parts of running a farm, like beekeeping, the county fair, and farm pollination. In a nod to modern food trends, two pages are dedicated to discussing the meaning of farm to table. Hsu’s beautiful illustrations coupled with Castaldo’s prose describe different types of farms and what each might contain, from the barn to the coop to the orchard. The book offers an informative and colorful study of growing, harvesting, and consuming food. Readers are sure to develop an appreciation for their food, including where it originates and the labor it requires.