by Michael Ableman (Chronicle Books, 2005)

This exquisite book, part travelogue, part cookbook, and part witness to the crossroads that agriculture and food face today, begins with a series of questions that writer-farmer-photographer Ableman poses while beginning a 12,000-mile (19,312-kilometer) tour of Americaï¿œs farms: ï¿œHow do we make sure that pure food is available to all, not just those that can afford it?

How can we grow food without depending on vast amounts of energy and foreign oil? How can we protect and enhance biodiversity and the natural environment within and around our farms?ￜ Ableman recounts beautifully his quest, which takes him from rooftop greenhouses in Manhattan to the chili-producing deserts of New Mexico.