History of Organic Farming in America
By Anneliese Abbott
Organic History
The Cold War Against Organic: How Organic Farming Came to America and Grew—Despite Intense Opposition
By Anneliese Abbott
The Cold War Against Organic will be available soon from the Acres U.S.A. bookstore and Amazon!
"Anneliese Abbott combines open-minded, rigorous research with a gift for storytelling in this much needed account of the dramatic history of organic agriculture in America. I was drawn from page to page as I followed her own journey and the key people who played important roles in shaping the psychological and physical soil of our current food system. More people should know of the decades of "war" against organic growing which she documents so clearly. I was especially moved by her insightful conclusion."
—Sherry Wildfeuer, founding editor of Stella Natura Biodynamic Planting Calendar
"Anneliese Abbott is the most passionate and dedicated researcher on the history of the organic movement I have ever known. And she has the gift of being able to turn her discoveries into fascinating stories that illuminate the past and create a path to a more organic future."—Maria Rodale, co-chair of Rodale Institute, former CEO of Rodale, Inc., and author
"An engaging and thorough study of the origin and development of organic agriculture in America. This beautifully written, carefully researched book is essential for anyone interested in the organic movement, including its trials, tribulations, and successes. An important history and a delightful read."—R. Douglas Hurt, Emeritus Professor of History, Purdue University
By the 1930s, Western civilization was sick. Literally. Despite advances in combating pathogens, noncontagious “degenerative diseases”—things like digestive ailments and tooth decay—were getting worse. The cause? A combination of poor agricultural practices and too much food processing, both based on flawed scientific theories.
There was another way. Healthy food, grown on healthy soil, could prevent degenerative disease. The eclectic group of doctors, scientists, farmers, and writers who developed and promoted this health-based farming system called it “organic farming.” But in 1945—just as the organic movement started to grow—agricultural scientists, chemical companies, and even the government launched a “cold war” against organic farming, trying to discredit it and keep it from becoming mainstream.
Based on extensive research and a few fun road trips, Anneliese Abbott tells the story of how concerns about health started the organic farming movement, how that movement came to America, and how it grew during the 1940s–60s despite intense opposition. From the foothills of the Himalayas to the fertile valleys of Pennsylvania, this is the story of the ideas and people who launched the organic farming movement in America.
Anneliese Abbott has been researching the history of organic farming since 2015. She has a bachelor’s degree in plant and soil science from The Ohio State University and a master’s in agroecology and environmental studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a contributing editor for Acres U.S.A., runs the website historyoforganic.com, and is the author of Malabar Farm: Louis Bromfield, Friends of the Land, and the Rise of Sustainable Agriculture. She lives on a small farm in Michigan and enjoys gardening, cooking, hiking, and visiting organic farms.