Description
Book SynopsisFocuses on one of the most vibrant local food economies in the country, the Hudson Valley that supplies New York restaurants and farmers markets. This title explores the historical roots of farmworkers' predicaments and examines the ethnic shift from Black to Latino workers.
Trade Review"By teasing out the complications of a single sliver of the 'alternative' food system, Labor and the Locavore points the way forward for foodies." Dissent "Gray is a nuanced, thorough and evenhanded writer, which makes her argument all the more convincing." NY 1 "As Margaret Gray discusses in her excellent book, 'Labor and the Locavore,' we cannot achieve ethical consistency in producing food without paying attention to labor... For food to be affordable, people - all people - must earn living wages; alternatively, good food must be subsidized. Both conditions would be even better." -- Mark Bittman New York Times, The Opinion Pages "Gray deftly crafts her arguments ... This book is exceptionally researched and would make an excellent and challenging addition to undergraduate courses on sustainability as well as graduate courses in public scholarship." -- Russell C. Hedberg II Agriculture and Human Values "An inspiring example to current and future scholars of food and agriculture." -- C. Clare Hinrichs Agricultural History "Gray illuminates issues that even the most thoughtful among us have been turning a blind eye toward regarding the experience of many farm workers." -- Suzanne Cope Food, Culture, and Society "An important contribution to the discussion of alternatives to the conventional food system." -- Fred Magdoff Green Left Weekly "Gray has shifted our discussion of food ethics back to the humans who, by their hands, give us our daily bread." -- Charles Thompson Jr., Labor Studies in Working-Class History of the Americas "[An] excellent book ... broad and balanced." -- Kia Sanger Labor Studies Journal "Labor and the Locavore represents a powerful corrective to a major shortcoming in the food politics movement... Gray's work shines a bright light on precisely this side of the equation and highlights the need for a comprehensive food ethic that encompasses both environmental and social justice." -- Noah Zerbe Labour-Le Travail "Gray exposes the stark reality of farm labor conditions in the Hudson Valley's regional food economy ... An important contribution to the literature on social justice in agriculture." -- Christy Getz New Labor Forum "Gripping reading ... Gray's success in uncovering injustice within the locavore movement in the Hudson River Valley is irrefutable." -- Eric Buzzetti Perspectives on Politics "Labor and the Locavore is a timely and important antidote to much of today's popular food writing... I definitely recommend the book." -- Julie Guthman Progress in Human Geography "Gray compiled a vivid picture of the living and working conditions of farmworkers in the Hudson Valley... She reminds us that a progressive transformation of our global and local food systems cannot be achieved without securing justice for all food workers." -- Tom Angotti Progressive Planning "Gray smartly argues that we must attend to the working conditions of individuals employed by farmers... this book will be an eye-opening experience for anyone who cares about what they eat." -- Abby Dubisar Women, Food, and Ag Network "Labor and the Locavore combines a wide-ranging historical perspective with the insights of contemporary fieldwork... Gray's tenacious commitment to examining the broad context of persistence and change in the injustices experienced by Northeast farmworkers offers an inspiring example to current and future scholars of food and agriculture." Agricultural History
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction: Is Local Food an Ethical Alternative? 1 * Agrarianism and Hudson Valley Agriculture 2 * The Workers: Labor Conditions, Paternalism, and Immigrant Stories 3 * The Farmers: Challenges of the Small Business 4 * Sustainable Jobs? Ethnic Succession and the New Latinos 5 * Toward a Comprehensive Food Ethic Methodological Appendix Notes Bibliography Index
