
Lentil Underground
Renegade Farmers and the Future of Food in America
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Narrated by:
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Tavia Gilbert
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By:
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Liz Carlisle
About this listen
The story of the "Lentil Underground" begins on a 280-acre homestead rooted in America's Great Plains: the Oien family farm. Forty years ago, corporate agribusiness told small farmers like the Oiens to "get big or get out." But 27-year-old David Oien decided to take a stand, becoming the first in his conservative Montana county to plant a radically different crop: organic lentils.
Unlike the chemically dependent grains American farmers had been told to grow, lentils make their own fertilizer and tolerate variable climate conditions, so their farmers aren't beholden to industrial methods. Today, Oien leads an underground network of organic farmers who work with heirloom seeds and biologically diverse farm systems. Under the brand Timeless Natural Food, their unique business-cum-movement has grown into a million dollar enterprise that sells to Whole Foods, hundreds of independent natural foods stores, and a host of renowned restaurants.
From the heart of Big Sky Country comes this inspiring story of a handful of colorful pioneers who have successfully bucked the chemically based food chain and the entrenched power of agribusiness's one percent. Journalist Liz Carlisle weaves an eye-opening and richly reported narrative that will be welcomed by everyone concerned with the future of American agriculture.
©2015 Elizabeth Carlisle (P)2017 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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Overall
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Performance
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Farming is the world's greatest cause of environmental destruction - and the one we are least prepared to talk about. We criticize urban sprawl, but farming sprawls across 30 times as much land. We have ploughed, fenced and grazed great tracts of the planet, felling forests, killing wildlife, and poisoning rivers and oceans to feed ourselves. Yet millions still go hungry.
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Biased, ignores science
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An Immense World
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Performance
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Story
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Lie after lie. Complete NARCISSIST!!! Don’t waste your time
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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A surprising find
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Drawing on decades of work that has helped expand our understanding of what it means to be human and what we all need to do to help build a better world, The Book of Hope touches on vital questions, including: How do we stay hopeful when everything seems hopeless? How do we cultivate hope in our children? What is the relationship between hope and action? Filled with moving and inspirational stories and photographs from Jane’s remarkable career, The Book of Hope is a deeply personal conversation with one of the most beloved figures in the world today.
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A visionary leader inspires again
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Turn Right at Machu Picchu
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- Unabridged
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Writer for the New York Times and GQ, Mark Adams is also the acclaimed author of Mr. America. In this fascinating travelogue, Adams follows in the controversial footsteps of Hiram Bingham III, who’s been both lionized and vilified for his discovery of the famed Lost City in 1911—but which reputation is justified?
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Spellbounding, exceptional vocals
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What listeners say about Lentil Underground
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 07-24-23
Great story of farming in Montana
Who knew the US can grow A LOT of beans with very little water? An excellent read for folks wanting to know more about how we can farm AND be stewards of the land.
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- shakinfist
- 06-30-20
Fingers on the pulse of sustainable ag
Lentils. Not what most would consider an incredibly exciting topic. HOWEVER, Dr. Liz Carlisle takes you on an amazing journey that will leave you simmering for weeks. It's not often you get to peel back the facade and peer into the inner workings of American farms struggling to deal with a myriad of economic and ecological challenges. In this book the author immerses you in a way that leaves you emotionally invested in the well-being of the people, soil, and lentils you meet along the way.
Highly recommend.
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1 person found this helpful